


Promise the Stars

by DanieXJ



Category: Eureka, Once Upon a Time (TV), Rizzoli & Isles, Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-26
Updated: 2012-08-26
Packaged: 2017-11-20 22:02:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 23,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/590121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanieXJ/pseuds/DanieXJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Xena and Gabrielle are bored, and when Xena's bored things can get interesting. Who will win the soulmate smackdown? And what will happen after the winner is chosen?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_“This is stupid Xena.”_

_Xena rolled her eyes, yawned and put her feet up on a conveniently placed tree stump. “Of course it is. Nothing that we do here matters, we’ve been dead over two thousand years, and really, I’m so very, very bored.” She sighed, “Least in Tartarus there would’a been some fisticuffs.”_

_Gabrielle chuckled lightly and wrapped an arm around Xena, putting her head against Xena’s shoulder, “This is the reward, remember, and where did you get your hands on the incantations to do all this?”_

_Xena shrugged, “Guy down the way a bit. Died not too long ago--”_

_“Xena, to us, the American Revolution wasn’t too long ago. You’re going to have to be more specific. What was his name?”_

_Xena shrugged again, “Hey, I’m not haunting random places or things, or appearing in the semi-flesh to people so they think I’m still alive somewhere. I’m bored. This is what happens when I’m bored. So, are we gonna do this or not?”_

_Gabrielle shook her head, but it was still with a smile, “Go for it. Why the Hades not? I’m a bit bored too.”_

_Xena laughed._

oOOOOo

“Maura--”

“Detective Rizzoli.”

Jane moved to one side and their shoulders only brushed a bit. Frankie slapped his sister on the shoulder with a laugh once Maura was out of view. “Guess she’s still pissed huh?”

Jane didn’t laugh. “Did you sweep the house Frankie?”

Frankie bristled, “Of course I did. Any other insulting questions?” He didn’t wait for Jane’s answer and stormed out the front door.

Jane carefully made her way to the back bedroom where the body and Maura were. She stopped in the doorway and leaned against it, her arms crossed over her chest. “I have nothing yet Detective. Not even the time of death.”

“I didn’t ask.”

Silence reigned. It was Maura who finally broke it, “Twelve hours ago... but...”

Jane finished Maura’s sentence, “You won’t know for sure until you get him back to the morgue. Not my first rodeo.”

Maura looked up, “I’ll never forgive you.”

Jane nodded, “I never thought you would.”

Maura didn’t break eye contact with Jane for a moment, a tiny frown creasing the space between her eyes, “You haven’t been yourself lately.”

Jane stepped into the room, “Maybe who I was wasn’t who I should be...”

Maura started to speak, but at the last second she didn’t. Instead she dove over the dead body towards Jane, knocking the Detective to the ground as a gun went off. Everything went sideways for a moment, then went black for both of them.

oOOOOo

Jack Carter was practically whistling as he stepped into Dr. Allison Blake’s office at Global Dynamics. He’d got a call from her while looking into missing cutlery in Cafe Diem. He knew it would be a problem, maybe something big, or something that would start small and turn into something big, but, he didn’t care. His daughter would be home from college in days and he was entering the office of the woman he loved, who also happened to love him back.

“So, what is it? Globidium on the loose? Tornadoes on level five, a mutiny in level 27?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Jack was stunned silent, “H-how?”

That caused Allison to smile as she stood and walked to Jack, taking his hands in hers. “You seemed to know how when...”

“No-- I mean--” He trailed off, “Wow.”

Allison started to look just a bit worried, “Jack, I’m sorry, I just sprang this on you, we should talk ab...”

Jack kissed Allisons silent, then leaned his forehead against hers, “No, no, it wasn’t a bad Wow, just a-- wow, wow-- unless, I guess you’ve done this before, twice, so I’d unders--”

It was Allison’s turn to kiss Jack silent, “Shh... a child, with you, would be a dream.”

Jack smiled, then frowned, “Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but weren’t you taking-- ahh-- preventative measures?”

Allison gave Jack a pointed look, “We’ve been through-- more biohazards happen in a week in Eureka than in everyone else’s whole lives. Any one of which could have counteracted the birth control.”

“Right--” Jack smirked with a shake of his head, “Sometimes I forget. Eureka strikes again.” He paused, “I think this is the best 911 I’ve ever gotten.”

That caused Allison to chuckle and she kissed Jack again, “Well, it wasn’t the only reason I called you. We had a break in...”

Jack gave a faux sniff, “Oh, I see, you just like me for my uniform.”

Allison put her hand over Jack’s Sheriff’s badge, “Actually, I think I like you better out of it, but... the theft.”

Jack gave a bow towards the door, “Lead the way la... Ow...” He rubbed where Allison had playfully hit him as they walked towards the elevator. “Just tell me it isn’t Level Five.” Allison was silent, “Aww... C’mon Allison... Level Five, again?”

Allison pressed the button for Level Five, “Sorry Jack.”

Jack made a face, but managed not to grouse as they rode the elevator down and down and down. When they stepped off he spoke again, “What was stolen?”

“A centrifuge.”

Jack frowned, “Seriously?”

“It’s a...”

Jack cut Allison off, “I know what it is. I’ve seen CSI, well, once, and I think I fell asleep halfway through, ‘cause at the end the grey haired guy and the young dark haired woman were kissing. Uh... I’m just wondering why in a building... a complex... a town... full of amazing doohickies and watchamacallits, they steal a centrifuge?”

Allison hid her smile, “I believe motive is your job Sheriff. Here we go...” As they entered Allison tripped. She threw her hands out at the same time that Jack lunged for her. But before her hands were far enough in front of her or Jack could get to her, her head hit the edge of the nearest console, a beaker tilting over as well and something splashing into her face and eyes. All of this closely followed by a brilliant flash of light.

oOOOOo

“Who the Hell do you think you are? He’s MY son.”

Emma blew out a breath, “Yes, and I’m the Sheriff, and even though you may not like it, I care about him.”

Regina crossed her arms over her chest, “Well, I love him and I know...”

Emma stepped into Regina’s personal space and poked her in the chest, “No. You don’t. You think you do. Love is more than just about feeding and clothing him.”

Regina pushed Emma backwards a step, “You think I don’t know what love is. Everyone in this damn town thinks that I don’t know what love is.”

David appeared out of nowhere, of all things a sword in his hands. “Back away Emma.”

Emma didn’t move, just frowned at the man, “David... what are...”

“Move backwards. Someone needs to fix... fix all this, break this curse. Killing her will do it.”

Emma sighed and slowly drew her gun, “David, I don’t want to use this. Please, put down the sword, okay?”

David looked somewhere between aghast and seriously angry, “You’re going to side with HER?”

Emma put up her other hand, the gun still pointed at the ground. “I’m not on anyone’s side David. Put down the sword. Please.”

“Why don’t you...”

Emma cut Regina off, “Shut up Regina.”

Surprisingly the Mayor did. “Violence isn’t the answer David. If you think for a second you’ll realize that. How do you know that if you kill her that...” she managed to keep the disbelief out of her voice, “...you all will go back to your... kingdom. Maybe it will strand you all here forever.”

“No.” He waved the sword, “No, no... she has taken all our happy endings for herself, and I’ll get them back.” He took a step towards Regina and Emma took a step towards him.

“David. Does she look happy? Hmmm? Does she?”

But, David was past talking. He rushed at Regina and with a wince Emma raised her gun and got off a shot. He was hit, but only in the shoulder, and it didn’t seem to slow him down. Emma’s finger started to squeeze the trigger again, but he was too fast. 

Then, it was as if everything slowed down for the blonde. The tip of the sword preceded David, and because Emma was beside the Mayor it would pierce Regina’s flesh before Emma could shoot again. Instead she did the first thing that came to her mind and stepped in front of Regina, the blade of the sword plunging into her just under her left breast.

A half cry, half gurgle came out of her mouth as she fell backwards. Regina getting under her just in time to catch her before she hit the ground. Except, Regina had only just caught Emma when the world went sideways, and everything went black for both of them.

oOOOOo

_Xena made a face, “Ooh, damn, you know what we forgot?”_

_Gabrielle watched the six people in their forests for a silent moment and then nodded. “An antagonist.”_

_Xena smirked, “Well, I was gonna say a proper baddy or two, but, if you wanna go with the fifty dinar word.”_

_“Cent.”_

_“Only if we're in the United States.” Xena tapped her fingers on her knee for a moment. “Huh...”_

_“Xena....”_

_Xena kissed Gabrielle, then brushed a hand through the short woman's short blonde hair, “Do you trust me?”_

_Gabrielle pursed her lips, “Since you know that I do... this won't be good will it?”_

_Xena's eyes twinkled with something that Gabrielle hadn't seen in a long time. The bard sighed, “Do it, whatever you're about to do, do it. Pick your... bad guy.”_

_“How about... guys...”_

_Gabrielle was silent for a moment, “You don’t mean...” Xena nodded, “X-- That’s not fair. You could barely...”_

_“We...”_

_Gabrielle narrowed her eyes at Xena, “You_

_“This is a test to see which one of them carries us in them... I think this is an apt bunch of... baddies to test them against.”_

_Gabrielle took in a breath and blew it out, “Okay, okay... will they die if they... die?”_

_Xena winced, “I ah... I’m not actually sure about that.”_

_Gabrielle made a face, “Well, how wrong could this go then...”_


	2. Chapter One

The sound that came from Emma was un-earthly. she fell forward and onto dirt, not floor, “The fu--” Her swear was cut off by another burst of pain as someone rolled her onto her side. she blinked up at the figure with a frown, “Reg?”

Regina cut her off as she took off her blazer and ripped it apart. She knelt down next to Emma. “If you ever call me Reggie I will let you bleed out on this--” she glanced around as she stuffed part of her blazer under Emma, pushed her onto her back and put pressure on the wound in Emma’s gut with the other half of the blazer. “Barn...”

Emma coughed, “Think it’s a stable.... Reg.”

“Shut up. You’re squeaking. Sit up.”

“Yes mistress...” Emma tried to, but couldn’t, “Nope... guess you won.”

Regina hurfed in annoyance, “Be silent, and don’t ever... ever call me that. Also, try not to scream.” Regina took a hold of Emma around the middle and dragged her towards one of the empty stalls in the stable. She leaned the blonde against the stall door and blew out a breath, “Easier to breathe?”

Emma gave a slight nod as Regina stood, “Since I’m not going to sacrifice any more of my wardrobe, I’m going to see if there’s something here to wrap you up better.”

Emma coughed again, “And what should I do?”

Regina glanced over, “Keep being a judgemental ass.” Another cough. “If you can’t do that, just don’t die.”

Emma frowned, “Easier said than done.”

oOOOOo

_“Xena.”_

_“Gabrielle.”_

_“It won’t work if Emma dies. And, by the way, really, the blonde gets the sword through the gut?”_

_Xena smiled just a little bit, “You survived.”_

_Gabrielle shook her head, “I survived because of dumb luck, and all I had was a poisoned arrow through the shoulder. She just got run through by a sword...”_

_Xena quirked an eyebrow, “No poison on it.”_

_Gabrielle turned to Xena, “Maybe we should stop this and...”_

_Xena cut her off, “Can’t... this is a ‘start the top spinning and see where it goes’ magic... so, ah...”_

_Gabrielle grumbled, “We can only watch and see what happens. Sometimes Xena...”_

oOOOOo

“Allison, Allison, talk to me.”

Allison groaned and put a hand to her head, “I-- no-- I don’t... I can’t see.” Jack opened and closed his mouth. “Jack, sa-say something.”

Jack cleared his throat and turned in a circle, “Sorry-- ah, it’ll be okay. It’s probably ‘cause you bumped your head, right? Think that could be it?”

“Yes--” Allison didn’t seem convinced, “Ah, yes it could, or--”

Jack cut Allison off, “No buts, or ors, you can’t see it, but we’re in some sort of stable... without the horses. Can you stand?”

“Yes, I think so.” Jack helped her up, “Jack...”

He cut her off again, “Nope. Not talking about it. I’m gonna look at you in the light and tell you what I see...”

Allison put her hands on Jack’s shoulders and gripped them just a little bit too hard. For a moment they didn’t move, then Jack took one of Allison’s hands off his shoulder and kissed its palm. “It’ll be okay Allie.”

Allison cleared her throat, “I didn’t-- I didn’t say that it wouldn’t be.”

Jack smiled, “I may not be a super genius, but I do know you and I can tell that every little thing that could have caused this blindness is running through your amazingly gorgeous head right now. Okay. Close your eyes. I want to see your beautiful irises. And open.” He paused, “See, both went from big to little at the same time. And now I’m going to go behind you.”

Jack felt Allison’s skull. When he took his hands away she leaned backwards, “Hey, what’s wrong?” Jack wrapped his arms around Allison’s waist and rested his head on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry that-- GD has thrown us into-- whatever, wherever this is.”

Jack glanced around, “I don’t know, this doesn’t seem like a GD mess, or a Eureka one either.” He glanced over to a large open box with various pointed weapons sticking out of it. “No... this feels like something else.”

Allison turned in Jack’s arms, “Sometimes your feelings are better at fixing situations than all my gadgets combined.”

“Oh...” Jack chuckled, “Your gadgets?”

Allison kissed Jack, “I have lots of smart people working for me... now, let’s get out of here. Sound good?”

“Perfect, but first...” He brushed back a lock of Allison’s hair and their lips met.

oOOOOo

_Gabrielle sighed, “Really, we have to sit through... that?”_

_Xena narrowed her eyes at Gabrielle, “Since when are you heterophobic?”_

_Gabrielle pointed at Xena, “Not a word. I know words, that’s not a word, and I’m not, but... you think that-- they-- have our souls in them?”_

_Xena tilted her head to the side, “Well, he’s quite the warrior and hero, and, more often than not he’s saving her from something or other.” Gabrielle gave Xena a whack and Xena chuckled, “And, I didn’t choose them... the spell did.”_

_Gabrielle gave a harumph, “Still... we never win...”_

_Xena raised an eyebrow, “We dead people?”_

_“No.” Gabrielle put her head on Xena’s shoulder, “We who appreciate the company of women.”_

_They were both quiet for a moment, watching, then Gabrielle changed the direction of the conversation, “So, who do you think has our souls?”_

_Xena glanced over at Gabrielle and back to the scenes before them, “My dinars are on the Detective and her gorgeous, brainy, sidekick ME. Reminds me very much of you.”_

_Gabrielle made a face, “Ew... I”ve never been crazy about cutting open dead bodies.” Xena just laughed._

oOOOOo

“Maura-- why would you do that?”

Maura held a hand to her shoulder as blood oozed out from underneath it, “I-- oww...”

Jane knelt down next to Maura and pressed her hand against Maura’s. The blonde jumped just a bit and Jane winced, “Sorry.”

Maura frowned, “This is... very painful.”

Jane carefully removed Maura’s hand from her shoulder and looked at the wound, “Can you move your hand, your fingers?”

Maura did as she watched Jane’s face closely, “You put yourself through this pain-- voluntarily?”

Jane stood and glanced around, “It’s my job... and I did it so my brother would get help, so you would get help.” She moved over to the large box with lots of swords, a mace, and all manner of killing instruments in it. She shuffled things around and blew out a breath. At the bottom was a bunch of cloth. “Bandages.”

She went back over to Maura and knelt in front of her. “This is going to hurt, but, the bullet went all the way through, so...”

Maura looked over at the bandages with a bit of almost worry on her face, “We have no water, or... wait...” With the hand of her uninjured arm she carefully reached into her pocket and brought out a small tube of, ‘don’t need water’, antibacterial gel.

Jane tried to stop it, but a laugh bubbled from her anyway. “Sorry...” She cleared her throat, “Sorry... I’m glad you’re always prepared.”

Jane focused on putting on the bandage. She flinched a little as she felt Maura’s hand on her cheek. Jane’s gaze went from the bullet hole that had been meant for her to Maura’s eyes. Maura didn’t say anything and they just sat there until Jane simply had to break the silence, “Did I hurt you? I can be more car...”

Maura shook her head as she cut Jane off, “You haven’t smiled in... since...” She dropped her hand and Jane went back to the bandage.

“Done.” Jane stood and moved back away from Maura.

Maura looked down at the bandage with a frown, “Jane... I know that you had to shoot him... my father. But-- even though my brain knows that fact, every time I look at you my heart hurts, and sometimes, I just... I want to hit you, or...” Maura sighed, “It’s coming entirely from my primal brain, I want to make you hurt like I hurt. He wasn’t the best man, but he was... he was my father.”

Jane stood with her back to Maura, her head bowed and her hands braced against the box of weapons. She didn’t turn, but spoke, “If I thought it would help I would apologize every day for the rest of my life, but... it won’t help. I know that. You’ve done so much for me... I should have been able to think of some other... make the whole thing work out differently.”

Jane jumped just a bit as Maura’s hand came down on her shoulder. Jane turned, “Jane, you’re my best friend... and I’ve never really had one.” She smiled sadly, “I’m a cyborg remember? But...”

Jane put her fingers on Maura’s lips, silencing the blonde, “You’re my best friend too. But, what I did. It’s unforgivable. I don’t expect you to forgive me-- ever--. The fact that you haven’t totally cut me out of your life, stopped working with me, all that... You don’t know how grateful I am for that.”

Maura shook her head, “Stop working with you? Your mother would never speak to me again, and... that, I mean.” Maura shook her head and adjusted her sling, “I guess I feel as though I’m a part of your family.” She sighed, “I know that I am not, but...”

Jane cut Maura off as she looked over at her, “You are... a part of the Rizzolis I mean.” Jane paused, “When I told Ma what happened.” It was Jane’s turn to shake her head, and then she stared down at the ground again, “Never seen her look so disappointed. Not even when Tommy went to jail. So...” She glanced around, “We get outta here you call her. You can bond over your disappointment in me.”

“Jane.”

Jane held a hand up with a frown and walked over to the door. She opened it just a bit and looked out. she quickly pulled her head back in and closed the door, swearing.

“What is it?”

Jane blew out a breath, “I don’t think we’re in Western Mass. There’s, well, an army marching towards... ah... here, wherever here is.”

“Oh.”


	3. Chapter Two

“This isn’t bad. I mean, nothing’s floating, nothing’s about to explode, or implode, or... well, melt.”

“Jack.”

Jack smiled, “Ah, you whipped out the Carter. You shouldn’t stress. I beat a black hole, a big honkin’ black hole, remember?

“Carter.”

Jack put a hand around Allison and pulled her into his arms. “It’ll be okay.”

“We have...” Allison put her head against Jack’s chest for a moment, “We have what...”

“A few swords, somethin’ that sorta looks like a... Morning Star I think. Big ball thing on a handle with one spike bigger than the others. Uh.. Axes.”

Allison looked down at the ground, though she couldn’t see it, “And.... you’ll be using...”

Jack pushed Allison back a little until she was behind him, “My amazing charm. And perhaps enough words to make them realize that they can have anything in here, ‘cause, I’m not attached to pointy weapons that I’ll never use. You okay with that?”

Allison put her arm around his waist and moved so that they were next to one another again, “I’ve always trusted you with my life Jack. Before we were... we, and now.”

Jack cleared his throat, “Right. No pressure.”

The door flew open and both Jack and Allison winced.

oOOOOo

_“Hmm....”_

_Gabrielle smiled just a little bit, “Didn’t think of that, did you.”_

_“I didn’t, no.”_

_“Soo... does that prove that our souls aren’t in them?”_

_Xena wrinkled her nose a bit, “Eh... maybe it just proves that I don’t always fight first.”_

_Gabrielle rolled her eyes, “Oh, it’s you in the blond male?”_

_Xena chuckled, “Well, Allison is the smart one.”_

_Gabrielle’s face got serious, “Really? You know that you’re just as smart as... women didn’t read in our day Xena. You did, and you taught yourself.”_

_Xena stood and walked away from their watching perch a bit. “That was just...” Xena turned and looked back at Gabrielle who had stood as well, “Also, there is no way that my soul could be in one as beautiful.”_

_Gabrielle walked to Xena and gave her a push in the gut, “See, now you’re just fishing for a compliment.”_

_Xena’s face stayed perfectly still for a moment, then she smiled. “Mm... maybe. I told you, I’m bored.”_

_Gabrielle glanced over her shoulder, the viewer had changed, “Well, Jane and Maura should cure that, shouldn’t they.”_

oOOOOo

“Ooh, caltrops.”

Jane shook her head.

Maura pointed towards the door, “We should put them on the ground, beyond the sweep of the door. The first few soldiers in will step on them.”

Jane nodded, “Sounds good.” Maura tilted her head to one side, then after a moment walked over to a place near-ish to the doors and started scattering them with her good arm. “Are you okay?”

Maura glanced over her shoulder, “You’ve asked me that five times in the last three minutes.”

Jane cleared her throat, “I apol...”

Maura cut Jane off, “No. My terms for reconciliation. Yoga, whenever I say, no asking what time of death was, and... blood is only blood when I say it’s blood. And...” Maura trailed off, “Something to be named later.”

Jane frowned, “Something? Later?”

Maura looked around the barn, “After all this is over.”

“Yes.”

Maura was a little taken aback by just how fast Jane responded, “You don’t even know what the something will be. You may not like it.”

Jane shook her head, “I don’t care. Those terms, and anything else you want me to do or...” Jane put a hand on Maura’s shoulder, “anything. There is nothing you can say that would or will make me and you not be friends.”

Maura was silent for a moment, “Even me questioning your grammar?”

Jane was still for a second, then laughed. “Okay, pick your weapon smartiepants. I’m gonna go with the morning star.”

“Hunga Munga.” 

Maura opened her mouth to say more, but Jane put a hand over it. “Don’t need to know. Are you sure I can’t convince you to go into the loft?”

Maura shot Jane a look, “I am not a child. Do not start treating me as such now.”

Jane gave a half a salute and looked towards the door. “Here’s hoping that your calber...”

“Caltrops.”

“Whatever. Hope they work good.”

“Well.”

“Maura.....”

Then the door flew open and their banter stopped as the red garbed soldiers flowed in.

oOOOOo

“I can help.”

Regina cinched down a rope and glanced out the window again, to gauge if the soldiers were any closer. “How, by bleeding all over them, projectile coughing perhaps?” Regina tried to lift a heavy axe that she’d found in the box, but it wouldn’t budge. Then, it did, and Regina looked over, “Emma--”

Emma helped Regina get it into place, “You know my first name. I’m astounded. Either I help, or we die.”

Regina gave Emma a surprisingly gentle shove towards the ladder that led to the loft of the barn. “I don’t need your help. Not with Henry, and not now.”

Emma turned to Regina, putting a restraining hand on the dark haired woman’s arm, “Oh, all your other friends are gonna help?”

Regina stepped into Emma’s personal space. “I- Don’t. Need. Anyone’s help. Up the ladder, they’re nearly here.” Regina trailed off, Emma was frowning. “What now Miss Swan?”

Emma smirked, “Oh, you can Miss Swan me all you want, but...” she frowned, “For some reason, you care.”

Regina took a step back, “Of course I don’t care. You’re a constant pain in my ass. You nearly kill my apple tree. You constantly undermine me with my son--”

Emma cut Regina off, “And yet, Reg, you care.” She jumped as Regina’s arms went around her waist and she was boosted halfway up the ladder. Emma looked down, “If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be forcing me up here.”

“Henry...”

Emma cut Regina off, “Isn’t here... and you didn’t run me through with the sword, David did. You’re set with your son. I get killed by the rampaging army, I’m out of your hair for good Reg.”

Regina almost growled with frustration, “Stop calling me...” She took a breath, “We’re about to die, you’ll be out of the way while I-- will not. And you’re.... complaining.” She shook her head and went over to the box of weapons. After a moment she walked back to the ladder with a short sword and an axe. She handed the sword up to Emma. “Use it if someone comes at you.”

Emma raised an eyebrow, “I think you have the wrong idea about me Reg.”

“Then don’t use it and die... Em.” She brought the axe back and with the first blow nearly severed the ladder completely.”

“The hell?”

There was banging on the door. Regina took a sword from the box and stood in the middle of the space. “It’ll soon be hell in here.”

Emma looked towards the door and back to Regina, “Why the fuck did... I could have helped you.”

Regina stared at the door, “I know.”

Emma blew a breath out, then her eyes nearly rolled up into her head as a wave of pain hit her. She looked around, for something, anything. “This is why you don’t get a happy ending.” Her eyes hit on a coil of rope. “‘Cause you don’t get that it isn’t you against the world...”

“Just... be silent. They’re about to...”

The door seemed to blow inwards, and the men in red armor poured in like the wind. Regina threw the axe in her hand at the first one in, burying it into his chest. He took out a couple for a moment as he fell backwards, stunned and dead. She held up her hand and from the box another sword flew to her hand and she waded into the red sea of men.

The flying sword had given Emma pause as she uncoiled the rope. She shook her head, the blood loss must have been getting to her.

Emma went to the edge of the loft, then paused and watched Regina for a moment as the Mayor tried to cut down the seemingly never ending flow of soldiers. With a shake of her head Emma threw down the rope and climbed down slowly, since every movement hurt, she was sure she could feel herself splitting in two. She kicked at a soldier who tried to climb up the rope, knocking him down.

Emma quickly found herself surrounded by soldiers. She fought and kicked and slashed as well as she could, but it was a losing battle. She did seem to be making her way to Regina’s side and at one point had to duck so that Regina’s sword didn’t take off her head.

Their eyes met and Emma imagined that she could hear Regina swear over the dine and a smile came to Emma’s lips even as she got whacked on the back of the head and fell to the dirt.

The world slowed down for Emma as she rolled onto her back. A sword was plunging towards her and then a shadow got between her and the sword and then it felt as though she was hit with at least a half a sack of bricks. Her stab wound hurt and she looked up and into of all people, Regina’s, eyes. Then Emma felt a tingly feeling all along her body and everything went silent.


	4. Chapter Three

Emma stared up at Regina. Though she didn’t have to look far since Regina was still on top of her and their faces were mere inches from each other. “Reg...” Regina tried to push herself up, get off of Emma, but Emma didn’t let her. “Reg, Regina, thank you.”

Regina tried to get up again, and Emma let her. But Regina didn’t move far, she knelt by Emma and checked her wound. Then stood and blinked in surprise. They weren’t alone. Five women and a man in a Sheriff’s uniform had joined them in the barn. Though there wasn’t a red garbed soldier in sight any longer.

Two of the women looked like they’d just stepped out of a fractured Caesar’s Palace show. One was tall with dark long hair and had on a leather skirt and top with armor over it. While the other was shorter with short blonde hair and had on what looked like a red-ish bra sort of thing and a sporty skort looking skirt.

There was another tall dark haired woman across the way, though she wore the unofficial female Detective suit. A brightly colored collared shirt with black slacks, and semi-clunky shoes. She had her arm protectively around a blonde with a bandage on her shoulder and who looked to be dressed in very fashionable threads and shoes.

Finally in the corner nearest to the loft ladder was the blond man in a Sheriff’s uniform and a darker skinned dark haired woman who seemed to be looking into nothingness. The man spoke, “Don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”

Maura spoke up, “We could be. These stalls could be big enough for horses or cattle. Although, Kansas’ state animal isn’t actually the cow, but the American buffalo, its bird is...”

“Maura...” Jane couldn’t help herself, she smiled, “Jane Rizzoli, and the walking encyclopedia is Doctor Maura Isles.”

Silence fell for a moment, the the only guy in the place spoke up, “Jack Carter.” He looked over at Allison, “And I wouldn’t presume to...”

“Carter.”

Jack bit back a laugh, “That means that I’m in trouble.”

Allison gave Jack a gentle shove and looked towards where Jane had spoken, “Allison Blake.”

Jack interrupted her, “She’s a doctor also...” and got another shove in his gut.

Emma tried to get to her feet, but Regina didn’t even let her sit up. “Doctor... Isles, Doctor Blake. My... Miss Swan needs your assistance. She was run through by a sword shortly before we came to... wherever we are.”

Maura spoke first, “I’m not a physician or surgeon, but a Medical Examiner. Not to mention I have only one hand at the moment.”

Allison chimed in, “And I’m blind, although I do have two hands. Perhaps between the two of us we can figure out why she’s moaning like a dying cat..”

“Hey.” Emma tried to sit up again, but Regina stopped her again, and then stepped back as Maura and Allison got down onto the floor.

Jack spoke as he looked at Regina, “Do you have a name?”

Regina looked him up and down, “Regina Mills. That’s Emma Swan. Do you have any other pointless questions?” She turned towards the two women who hadn’t spoken, “And do the two of you have names?”

“Gabrielle.”

The dark haired woman was silent, a frown on her face, staring at the two doctors over Emma.

Finally Gabrielle spoke again, “She’s Xena... and we shouldn’t be here. We’re dead.”

Xena finally spoke, though she didn’t take her eyes off of the two doctors and Emma. “Why isn’t she dead yet? I know sword wounds, and that should have at least punctured her lung, if not gone all the way through.”

Regina glanced over her shoulder, “I don’t...”

With the fastest hands that Regina had ever seen suddenly Xena was poking at the dark haired mayor’s neck. Regina fell to her knees, and one hand went to her throat, “I’ve cut off the flow of blood to your brain. In thirty seconds you will die.” That spurred both Jack and Jane to move towards Xena. But even as they attacked her at the same time they both wound up on their back. Taken out with lightning fast moves. “Stay out of this...”

Xena looked over at Gabrielle put her hand on Xena’s shoulder, “X--”

Xena shook her head, “Tell me what you did Regina, and live...”

Regina stared up at Xena in obvious pain, but not uttering a sound. “H-honey, Vin-vinegar.”

The only reason that Emma hadn’t joined the fray was that the two doctors were practically sitting on her to keep her on the ground. And Gabrielle almost looked ready to reverse whatever Xena had done to Regina herself.

But it was Xena who with two more jabs took the pinch off of Regina herself, then smiled, “Impressive. I couldn’t see any fear at all. There are greek gods who have looked more afraid with the pinch on them than you did now.”

Everyone in the room seemed to breathe regularly again, and Maura spoke, “The lung, it should have...” She glanced up at Xena, “As you said, it should have an entrance and an exit wound to go along with...” 

Maura shook her head and Allison looked unseeingly over towards Regina and Xena and finished Maura’s thought, “You healed her.”

Regina shook her head dismissively, “Of course I didn’t. That would require something more than my blazer and...”

Gabrielle tilted her head to one side, “You love her.”

Regina blew out a breath and started towards the barn doors, “Take care of Emma, I’ll go get...”

Xena grabbed her before she could get far, “I wouldn’t do that. There are quite a few soldiers coming right at us out there, and, they won’t stop to ask your name.”

oOOOOo

_“Do you think this was a good idea brother?”_

_Ares, god of war, made a face, “Of course it was.”_

_Aphrodite looked over at her brother and tried to figure out what was going through his head, “But, don’t you have enough wars going on to last you a lifetime. You’re more powerful than I have ever seen you.... you...” Aphrodite sighed and pushed aside a bit of her hair that no matter what she did seemed limp and lifeless these days. “You brought Xena and Gabrielle back to life with no help, with only your own power. While I...”_

_Ares cleared his throat, “Perhaps I didn’t do it for me Dite.”_

_“You did it for me? That’d... that’d be like me wearin’ birkenstocks Ares.”_

_Ares tilted his head to one side for a second, then shook it, “Can’t see it. So, let’s just leave it at maybe I thought that there’s enough war in the world right now, and it needs just a little more love.”_

_Aphrodite stared at Ares for a long minute, then threw her arms around his neck and gave him a crushing hug. “This’ll be great. Xena and Gabrielle, alive again.”_

_Ares rolled his eyes as he extricated himself from Aphrodite, “Only if the Persian Army doesn’t kill ‘em.”_

oOOOOo

The couples had gone to their corners after Maura and Allison had finished fixing Emma enough that she wouldn’t die before the army got to them. Regina sat near to Emma, but not too near. Emma was giving the dark haired Mayor a look. Finally the blonde spoke, “Were they right? Did you save me?”

Regina didn’t meet Emma’s eyes, keeping an eye on Xena. “I would have had to use magic or something.”

Emma gave Regina a look, but, before she could speak again she coughed and coughed and coughed. That did manage to get Regina’s attention. Regina paused for only a second, then carefully slid underneath Emma’s head, propping the blonde Sheriff up against her chest so that breathing was easier. Finally Emma stopped coughing and got her breath back, “You could be a mutant. Doesn’t one of them have healing powers? The guy that looks like a shaggy dog?”

“Wolverine, and he can’t heal others, only himself.” Emma looked upside down at Regina, both her eyebrows raised, “What? What do you presume Henry was reading before Miss Blanchard gave him that infernal storybook?”

“Comics. So, which one is the healing one.” Regina didn’t utter a word. “C’mon. I know that you know at least one. Who?”

Regina sighed, “Warren Worthington the third. He’s Angel, the guy with the wings.”

Emma smiled, just a little, “I’ll take your word for it. So, Henry was a Marvel kid? Not DC?” Regina nodded, “I always liked DC, Superman.”

Regina looked down at Emma, “The orphan thing?”

A snort came out of Emma’s nose and she blushed just a bit, “Ah, are you kidding, of course not. He could bench press a planet.” She paused, “How about you? Batman? Wonder Woman? You seem like a Wonder Woman woman.”

“Two-Face.”

Emma blinked in surprise, but when she met Regina’s gaze the Mayor didn’t look like she was kidding. “That explains quite a lot.” She didn’t break eye contact with Regina, “Did you heal me? Bear in mind now that I’m probably going to die anyway. So, secret’ll be safe with me.”

Regina brushed a lock of Emma’s hair out of her eyes, then slowly nodded, “Yes.”

Emma blinked, “Wow. That means...”

Regina looked away from Emma and back to where Xena and Gabrielle were sitting, “Yes, that means that I’m the Evil Queen.”

oOOOOo

“Xena, relax... you’re at... at...”

“Defcon One?” Xena pried her eyes away from Regina and glanced at the other two couples, Allison was sitting in a circle of Jack’s arms and they were talking quietly, while Jane was pacing near the door and Maura was trying to get her to sit down. “Sorry, I think all the America is rubbing off on me.”

“United States.”

That finally got all of Xena’s attention onto Gabrielle, “Huh?”

“America is a bunch of continents. North America includes Canada, the United States and Mexico. You mean the United States is rubbing off on you.”

Xena stared at Gabrielle for a long second, then a smirk came to her lips. “Right. Maybe I was wrong about our souls.”

“Ah, Xena. How can our souls be in one of these couples if, ah, we’re here too.”

Xena shook her head, “That’s your first question? Not. How are we here?”

“I assumed that it was Aphrodite or Ares, since they’re the only two who know us well enough to screw with our lives. But, to bring two people back from the dead, that’s... that’s a lot of power.”

Xena glanced up at the loft, “Haven’t we both seen what’s going on in the world? There’s more war than ever before.”

“So, you think it was Ares?”

Xena shrugged, “Love...” She brushed a bit of hay from Gabrielle’s cheek, “Love is tryin’ its best, but I think Ares is much stronger these days.” She sighed and looked at the door, “ So, are we ready for this? Again.”

“I don’t remember much what happened the last time around. But, what, three police officers, two small town Sheriffs and a Detective. That will help?”

Xena glanced at the door. “Mmm... I didn’t need them before.”

Gabrielle rolled her eyes.

oOOOOo

Allison closed her eyelids and leaned her head back against Jack’s shoulder. “I love you Jack.”

Jack frowned down at Allison, “Ally, what... We’re going to get out of this, just like we get out of everything else. We’ll figure out your eyes and...”

“...and what if we don’t.”

Jack rested his chin on the top of Allison’s head, “You’re my ah-- bashert Allison. No matter what happens. Sight, no sight, if you’re smart or stupid, or...”

“Have you been google translating again Jack?” Jack sighed in a faux agrieved way and Allison chuckled, then sighed, “I know that you get tired of the-- chaos-- of Eureka, I will never blame you if...”

“What, I go to Australia?” Allison was silent and Jack quickly continued, “I wouldn’t. Blind, seeing, you’re still smarter than the rest of the people in here combined. But I don’t love you for your eyes or your brains, or even your amazing beauty.”

Allison cut Jack off, “It’s getting a little thick Carter.”

Jack smiled, “See, your humor, your strength, your...”

Allison cut him off again, “Alright, alright Jack, I get it. You can stop molly coddling me now, I’m done feeling sorry for myself.”

“Good. ‘cause, I need you to channel Henry or Zane and for your big brain to come up with something made from ancient weapons that can take out a good portion of an army so that we can get home to our... ah... to the children.”

Allison chuckled, “Without seeing what any of the weapons look like or where we are exactly?”

“Yep. See, told ya you were smart.”

Allison gave Jack a shove. “And if you ever call our children ‘the children’ again... I’ll sic Fargo on you.”

Jack kissed the side of Allison’s head. “Those two words will never cross my lips again.”

“Good.”

oOOOOo

“We both got shot.”

Maura watched as Jane paced back and forth. “It feels to me as though I’m the only one.”

Jane looked down at Maura, “Maybe I’m dead.”

“Sit.” Jane raised an eyebrow and Maura put a hand up. “Please.”

Jane glance towards the other couples, then lowered herself down next to Maura, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Well, it hurts quite a bit, and is getting a bit stiff, but, yes. I think I’ll live.”

Jane sighed and leaned her head back against the wall, “Why did you do it Maura?”

“I...” Maura trailed off, “I’m not sure. I didn’t think before I did it.” Jane was looking at Maura with a weird look on her face, “What?”

“I never... thought I’d hear you say those words.”

Maura cleared her throat, “Yes, well, I should have thought a bit first.”

Jane grasped Maura’s hand, “Thank you.”

Maura stared down at their intertwined fingers and slowly extracted her hand. “I simply did what you’d do.”

Jane smirked, “So, does that make you stupider than usual, or me smarter than usual for not getting shot?” When the dark haired detective didn’t get an answer she turned a bit and frowned at her friend. “What’s wrong?”

Maura shook her head, “I’m not good with secrets.” Jane stayed silent and simply waited for Maura to continue. “Every time I look at you I hate you... and... and I love you.”

“Of course and...”

Maura put her fingers on Jane’s lips, then leaned forward and replaced her fingers with her lips.


	5. Chapter Four

Gabrielle and Xena were standing at the box full of weapons with Jack and Allison talking when Gabrielle cleared her throat and gave Xena a gentle bump with her elbow. “Maybe we’re not here for the reason we think we’re here X--”

Jack looked over too as Allison spoke softly to him, “What’s going on?”

“Ah, Maura and Jane I think is her name, they’re kissing. Anndd... now Jane looks quite gobsmacked.”

Allison shook her head, “Well, it’s not an electrified fence but... “

Jack stole a kiss from Allison and then turned back to the box, “Right, so, back to work.”

oOOOOo

“Why did... what...”

Maura sat back again, “That was my something to be named later. The thing that we needed to talk about. That’s why it hurt so much when you killed my father.”

“Ah....” Jane cleared her throat once, then again.

Maura waited as the silence stretched on, and finally asked, “Were you planning on saying something Jane? Or nothing?”

Jane opened and closed her mouth, then closed her eyes, “I... don’t know.”

Maura touched her injured shoulder and was silent for a moment, “Jane, I won’t be offended if you don’t feel the same. I don’t believe that we only get one love, one soulmate, in life. I’ll be-- sad for awhile, but...”

While Maura was talking Jane had changed position and knelt on both knees in front of Maura, she took Maura’s head with both her hands and kissed her.

oOOOOo

“From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,  
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.  
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes  
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;  
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows  
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.”

Regina closed her eyes for a moment, but opened them when Emma coughed. The blonde smiled just a little, “Sorry, what brought that on?”

Regina shook her head, “I don’t... it came to me. I. Henry, when he was a little boy, he loved when I read to him. Except. You’ve seen the Storybrooke Library, it’s not exactly the Bangor Public Library. Ah, and so, we ran out of books that were age appropriate for him. I’m, I’m not good at making up stories, so, one day he handed me Twelfth Night.”

Emma shook her head, “You read him Shakespeare. Wow. Did he like Romeo and Juliet the best?”

Regina closed her eyes and shook her head, “No, the, ah... Twelfth Night. He, when he was three he went as Malvolio. He loved the yellow cross gartered socks once I described what Malvolio probably looked like. There was a lot of that too, explanations of things.”

Emma’s eyes scrunched in pain for a long moment, then it passed and she opened them again and looked up at Regina, “Always the nerd, right? Why have fun when you can teach him something?” Regina started to respond, but Emma kept going, “I’m kidding. I--” She cleared her throat, “The only Romeo and Juliet quote I know is from the balcony. ‘O Regina, Regina! wherefore art thou Regina?  
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.  
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love  
And I'll no longer be a daughter of Charming and Snow."

Regina rolled her eyes, “Doesn’t scan.”

“Oh yeah, and yours works so well. I may be of Snow’s loins, but you’re one of the fightin’ parents... so...”

Regina draped her hand over Emma’s shoulder and Emma covered it with her own. “You’re right. Of course, ‘If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.’.”

A snort of laughter came from Emma, who then coughed, and coughed and coughed. It was nearly a minute before she caught her breath and looked up at Regina, “Hitler? So, we’re ending the debate?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you heal me?” Regina tried to take her hand away, but Emma didn’t let go. “I’m going to die Regina.”

Regina was silent for what felt like a long time, “I’m not sure exactly why I healed you.”

Emma squeezed Regina’s hand, “You’re lying.”

Regina looked towards Jane and Maura as they got at least to second base. “Yes. Well. I didn’t want you to die.”

Emma frowned up at Regina, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong Miss Swan. Henry would never forg--”

Emma cut her off, “That’s not what you said.”

Regina slid out from under Emma and stood. “I’m going to go see if I can help figure out how to get us home sooner rather than later.”

Emma sighed and watched as Regina went over to Xena and Gabrielle. She didn’t notice as Allison sat down next to her. “Any change?”

“Maybe...” Emma blinked and turned her head to look at Allison, “Oh, you mean with my guts hanging out, no, I don’t think so.”

“I don’t believe in magic.”

Emma sighed, “Yeah, that’s the problem, I don’t either. And yet, there she is.”

Allison smiled just a bit, “That’s very philosophical.”

Emma rolled her eyes, “Yeah, I’m usually much more shallow. Storybrooke is really killing my Shane.”

That made Allison frown, “Excuse me?”

“Ah, never mind...”


	6. Chapter Five

_“Okay Ares, stop it now.”_

_Ares looked up from his leg of lamb. At the other end of his table stood Aphrodite, still all in pink, her hands on her hips, “Hmm...?”_

_“Stop the Army-- I looked, it’s three times as large as the one that Xena and Gabrielle took on alone.”_

_Ares went back to his dinner, “There are eight instead of two people. And... I didn’t create any of this, Xena did. And so I can’t stop it.”_

_“Ares.”_

_He blew out a breath, “Aphrodite... it is what it is. But, don’t you have faith that your love’ll get them through, or some equally inane platitude?”_

_Aphrodite slumped into the chair at the end of the table, “This sucks.”_

_Ares was silent for a moment, “She’s Xena right? She only loses when she chooses to lose.”_

_Aphrodite thought about that for a moment, “Oh... I Mean. You’re right. Thank you Ares.”_

_Ares rolled his eyes, “Now that I’ve talked you off the ledge Sis, do I get to eat this before it’s colder than the Antarctic?”_

_Aphrodite stood, “Eww... meat,” and was gone in a shower of sparkles._

_Ares sighed, “No, it couldn’t have been Hades, or Poseidon, or Pops, hell, or even Hera. It had to be Aph...” He ripped a sizable chunk from his leg of lamb._

oOOOOo

Jack had an arm around Allison as Xena oversaw the final preparation of their defensive and offensive weapons. “Her leadership skills make your seem like you’re the Queen of England. I mean, you use the words please and thank you, and I’m pretty sure I have literal holes in my head from her looks.”

Allison smiled, “Tell me you’ll get us through this.”

“Me?”

“Black holes, deadly Marthas, even getting us all out of Barlow and Wen’s VR world. If you think we can win, we’ll win.”

Jack pulled Allison towards him for a moment, “We will ‘kay. Then we’ll get back to Jenna and Kevin and Zoe. FIrst though,” he led her towards the ladder to the barn’s loft. “You’re up on the second story with Sheriff Mc-bleedy.”

“Jack...”

“Allison.”

Allison was silent for a long moment before she hurfed, “Fine. Show me where the first step is.”

Jack studied Allison’s profile, “Ah, right in front of you,” Allison raised her foot, but Jack gently turned her before she could get her footing on the ladder. “I love you so much.”

Allison smiled and put her her hands on either side of Jack’s face, “I love you too,” and kissed him with all she had.

oOOOOo

“Move in.”

Emma blinked in confusion up at Regina, “What?” She started coughing and couldn’t stop until Regina moved under the blonde and propped her up.

“Why?”

“I just...”

Emma cut Regina off, “You tell me why you want me to move in and I will.”

The two women stared at each other, neither looking away or even blinking. It was Allison appearing that broke the moment. Regina cleared her throat, “Ah, there are weapons up here if-- if something happens.”

With that she disappeared down the ladder.

Allison settled down next to Emma, “Any-- discharge from your wound? That you can see?”

“Ah, other than the seeping blood, no.”

Allison was silent for a moment, “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done, and I have done a lot of scary things in my lifetime. I have two kids, Kevin and Jenna. I pretended that it was because of them that I was hesitating, but it was a lie. I was worried that it would all change, or that I would change, or that he wasn’t in love with me as much as I was with him. What I found out is that if the love is true, if the love is real, then you can face anything. And that in the grand scheme of things, moving in together is maybe a two.”

“Ah, I’m-I’m not sure I even like her.”

“Oh-- well-- ah--” Allison cleared her throat, “I think she likes you. From her voice.”

Emma snorted, “I doubt that, she’s tried to run me out of town so many times I’ve lost count. And there was the poisoned apple thing too.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, never mind. So, no, I sincerely doubt that she likes me either.”

“She asked you to move in with her. And, look around. Maura and Jane kissed, they were so loud I could hear them, Jack and I are together, and the way that Xena and Gabrielle bicker they seem to be together. Do you see a theme?” Emma made a ‘hmm’ noise, “And, I’ll stop. Is the oil ready?”

“Yeah, three feet to your left. Swords are next to me.”

Allison found one of the swords and held it up, “I shouldn’t. I can’t tell the difference between friend and foe.”

Emma rolled her eyes, then winced in pain, “Aim high.”

oOOOOo

“You’re not trying to convince me to go to the loft with Doctor Blake and Sheriff Swan.”

Jane gave Maura a look, “Would you be convinced?”

“If you meant it...”

Jane glanced over at the ladder, then back to Maura, “Nah, I think I always want you by my side, if that’s okay with you. Ah, maybe not in the, ah, marriage sorta way, yet, maybe. Darn you Margaret Marshall, so much damn pressure.”

“You’re forgetting Ireland, Cowin, and Greaney. And...”

Jane kissed Maura quiet, “Shh... enough Encyclopedia Isles. Let’s go kick some red garbed people’s asses--”

Xena spoke up, “They’re nearly here. Ready?”

“No.” Jane and Maura spoke in unison.

Jack spoke right after, “Nope.”

Only Regina had a different answer as she held the sword in front of her as if she knew how to use it. “Yes.”

Xena glanced back at Regina, then looked at Gabrielle with an upraised eyebrow. Gabrielle rolled her eyes and nodded. Then settled over her balance point and unsheathed her sais. Everyone was silent as they waited and watched the door.


	7. Chapter Six

They kept coming and coming. Under her breath Jane mumbled, “Worse than the freaking Red Coats on Patriot’s Day.”

Most of those in the barn weren’t fighting in a very pretty way. Jack, Jane and temporarily one armed Maura were slashing, sticking and jabbing at those around them. Only Xena, Gabrielle and Regina’s strokes seemed to have any planning or skill behind them.

Emma watched from the loft as the fighting raged. She and Allison had already doused the soldiers with the boiling oil and kicked the half sawed ladder down on them, so they were simply spectators, well, she was.

Gabrielle and Xena worked as one, sometimes side by side, or back to back, or even sometimes from across the room. She studied Regina. The dark haired mayor wielded her sword slightly differently from Xena, more like royalty, but her moves seemed just as deadly, and there was no hesitation at all.

Emma was paying so much attention to Regina that she only caught the flashes of light out of the corners of her eyes as they faded into the chaos. Her head turned. Allison was gone, and as she scanned the barn floor she realized, so was Jack.

oOOOOo

Jack stumbled forward and caught Allison as she did as well. They were in the great rotunda of GD. It was Jo who got to them first, followed closely by Henry and Grace. The three were talking over one another, trying to get Jack and Allison’s attention, but Jack heard nothing that they said. He turned Allison so that they face one another. “Ally, you’re crying.”

She said nothing, just pulled Jack into a kiss that was not quite suitable for the workplace. But, since Allison didn’t seem to care, Jack pulled her closer.

It was finally Jo’s throat clearing that got them to separate. “Where the hell did you two go?”

Jack still wasn’t paying attention, “What was that for?”

Allison smiled, “Because I can see your ugly mug.”

Jack smirked, “You seem to like my ugly mug, I could make it uglier.” He made a face.

“No, I love you exactly who you are Jack.”

Henry spoke up, “Is someone going to tell us what happened?”

Allison answered, “Eventually,” and took possession of Jack’s lips again.

oOOOOo

Jane pulled Maura back from a sword swipe of a man in red and plunged her own into him. Over the melee she tried to speak, “The Sheriff and Allison disappeared.” Jane ducked and it was Maura’s turn to knock down a soldier in red. Then it was as if the army re-spawned itself like some horrible Big Boss from a video game, and Jane and Maura were overwhelmed.

Against the onslaught Jane held Maura in her arms. “I love you Maura Hildreth Isles.”

Maura smiled just a bit, curling towards Jane, “I love you too Jane Clementine Rizzoli.”

The sword swooshed towards them, then it was gone and everything was fluorescent bright. Hospital bright. Jane couldn’t move, “Maura-- Maura--” She pulled at whatever was holding her to the bed. “Maura--”

A hand came down on her forehead, “You’re okay sweetie.”

“Ma-- where’s Maura-- please.”

“Shhh... Calm down. SHe’s in the next bed. She was shot, you hit your head and didn’t wake up.”

Jane rolled her head to the side. Indeed Maura seemed to be asleep on the bed nearer to the room’s window. “Thank God.”

“Jane Clementine, do not take God’s name in vain.”

Jane let her head sag back against the pillow, “I promise you Ma, I’m just thankin’ him.” SHe looked over at Angela. “I-- I love her Ma.”

“I know honey...”

“No, I mean, like you and Dad did, or-- yeah-- I’m in love with her.”

Angela shook her head, “I know Jane.”

“Oh.”

Angela made a face, “Yeah, oh. You kids think I was born in the 1400s or somethin’. I’m hip, I’m groovy.”

Jane resisted rolling her eyes, but only barely, “Of course you are Ma. Could you check on Maura?”

“Will you two get married? You can you know.”

“Maa-- Maura.”

“Yeah, yeah--”

Angela moved to Maura’s bedside and put a hand on Maura’s shoulder, “Maura, honey.”

Maura’s eyes blinked open, “Angela. What, where?”

Jane spoke from her bed before Angela could, “Ma, un-- latch me, or un-velcro, or untie or whatever.”

Angela glanced over, “The doctors...”

“Please Ma...”

Angela sighed and undid the soft restraints that had been holding Jane down and Jane climbed from her bed and moved next to Maura’s bed. “Most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.”

Maura squinted, “You’re blurry.”

Jane smiled, “I think they put you good stuff.”

“Oh-- will you stay with me Jane?”

Jane took Maura’s hand in her own, “Always.”

Maura frowned, “Tonight?”

Jane smiled, “Yeah, tonight too.” She leaned over and kissed Maura.

A voice came from the door. “Nope, definitely didn’t need to see that--”

“Shush Vince, they’re in love.”

Vince patted Jane on the back, “Took you two long enough...”

Jane hurfed, “What, everyone knew but me?”

Angela and Vince’s gazes met, “Yes, yep, we all did.”

Jane just shook her head, “Whatever. So, are you two gonna hover all day? We’re alive-- we’re here--”

Angela gave Jane and the Maura each a kiss on the cheek and then she and Vince left the room, but not before he got one last jab in as the door closed on them, “They want to get it on.”

Jane cleared her throat, “That’s not-- not in the hospital.”

Maura dredged up the energy for a smile, “Jane, will you-- hold me?”

Jane frowned, “Hold?”

Maura shook her head, “Never mind.”

Jane carefully smoothed out the bedspread next to Maura and carefully climbed up. “Just-- if I hurt you--”

“Shush--” Jane smiled and did as she was told. Maura laid her head against Jane’s chest and was silent for so long that Jane thought Maura had gone back to sleep. But, she hadn’t, “Jane-- are you going to break my heart like all the others? Like my father?”

Jane brushed back Maura’s bangs, “That’s just the drugs talking Maura. You should sleep.”

“Jane.”

Jane closed her eyes, “I don’t know Maura, I’m not psychic--”

“Oh.”

“But, you’re my best friend forever Maur--, and, if we can get through me shooting your birth father, somehow I think that we could still be friends if we broke up.”

Maura gave a small yawn, “Promise?”

Jane kissed the top of Maura’s head, “I d-- I promise.”

Maura laughed, “You were going to say you do--”

Jane shook her head, “Go to sleep Maura.”

Maura yawned again, making Jane yawn as well, “Okay.”

oOOOOo

It was three against an army. Emma pushed herself onto her knees. It hurt like hell, like a couple of four hundred men were trying to crush her.

Gabrielle, Xena and especially Regina were getting tired. Emma could see it by the way they were holding themselves. Xena used her sword with one hand, her round killing thing with the other, Gabrielle her two sais, and Regina had even acquired another sword somewhere along the way.

Then it all went wrong. Emma watched as Regina went down. Emma didn’t think, she threw herself off of the edge of the loft and collided with the Persian soldier who was about to separate Regina’s head from her shoulders. “NO!”

It didn’t accomplish much as Emma wound up on the ground. Regina next to her and a new soldier about to kill them both.

oOOOOo

Xena ducked to the side as Gabrielle dispatched a soldier, and then suddenly blackish green smoke covered everything for a half a moment. The fighting stopped and when the smoke cleared Emma and Regina were in the loft. Xena raised an eyebrow, “Dark haired one has power.”

The Persians attacked anew, but it was as if Gabrielle and Xena especially shifted into another gear since they no longer had to watch Regina’s back as well as their own, and they even started sorta winning.

oOOOOo

“Regina? I-- I thought you had no magic left?”

Regina stared at Emma. “That wasn’t me--”

“Regina--”

Regina held out her hand, “You can stop this, but you don’t know how. I do.”

Emma stared at Regina, “I--”

Regina didn’t move a muscle, “I’m not evil. I have done bad horrible things in my life, but I’m not evil.” She glanced down at the fighting. Xena and Gabrielle were doing much better, but were still slowly being overwhelmed by the Persians’ greater numbers. “Do do it for me, than do it for them, they seem like the personifications of good.”

Emma watched Xena and Gabrielle fighting for a moment and then before she could change her mind she grabbed Regina’s hand.


	8. Chapter Seven

The pain was enormous, like her chest was on fire and someone was trying to rip it in two at the same time. She looked down. The pain was because, apparently, when reappearing from who knows where to the real world again, she’d appeared in the exact same place she’d started at. With a sword through her.

“Emma!”

It was two people who called the blonde’s name. Henry rushed to her side as David pulled the sword from Emma’s chest, even as Regina shouted, “No.”

It was chaos. Henry trying to staunch the bleeding and failing miserably. David, pointing the sword at Regina, yelling at her not to move either, and Mary Margaret, trying to get Henry away from the entire thing.

It was Regina who finally brought a form of sanity back to Main Street. “SILENCE!” She slowly got to her knees. “David. I’m going to get up. I’m going to go to Emma....”

“You will not mo...”

“BE Silent you idiot. I will save Emma’s life. Or...” She looked around, “Is there someone else here who has the power to do it? Hmm? Well?”

It was Mary Margaret who finally put a hand on David’s arm. Got him to lower the sword, and Regina wasted no time getting to Emma’s side. She knelt down next to her son and carefully took his hands off of Emma’s chest. He looked up at her with both fear, and hope. “Mom?”

She met his eyes, “Trust me Henry.”

The townspeople of Storybrooke all said what happened next was the miracle. Regina healing Emma. But, to Regina, the miracle was that Henry sat back on his heels and didn’t say a word as Regina closed her eyes and wove her power over and through Emma.

oOOOOo

Xena sat up with a wince. “Yep, not young anymore.” A chuckle came from on top of her. “Oh yes, laugh. Who was your landing cushion?”

Gabrielle gave Xena a kiss, “You always are X-- and... now it’s time to figure out ah... why we’re not in Elysia?”

Xena gave Gabrielle a poke, “Nope, you’re real.” Xena stood, bringing Gabrielle up with her in her arms.

“Xeennna....”

Xena smiled for a moment, but the moment was broken by a scream. Neither woman thought, and both took off towards the center of town, where the scream had come from.

“Everyone-- STOP!”

As Xena and Gabrielle jogged to a stop, everyone did. Emma was on the ground, just starting to push herself up. Regina was played a few feet away, David towering over her still with a sword in his hand. And Henry seemed to be frozen still in fear.

“Hey buddy, you think you can take me down with that thing?”

Gabrielle gave Xena a push, “Oh, and why do you get the first fight in the real world?”

Xena made a noise, “‘Ah, ‘cause I’m the hero and you’re the sidekick?”

Gabrielle raised an eyebrow, “Since when? Or did you forget teaching me the pinch, me catching your Chakram-- shall I go on?”

Xena took a step back and gestured towards David. “Alright. See if you can take her. But, bear in mind, I trained her--”

Everyone stood perfectly still and finally David lowered the sword and sheathed it. He forcibly pulled Regina to her feet. Emma tried to sit up, but Mary Margaret put a hand on Emma’s shoulder, “Mary Margaret, let me up.”

“You could be...”

Emma shrugged off Mary Margaret’s hand as David dragged Regina down the street towards the Sheriff’s office, “I’m fine... Regina healed me.” She started to go after Regina, but it was Henry’s turn to get in her way.

“She’s evil Emma, you can’t trust her. You can’t. She put everyone here, and wants to keep everyone here and--”

Emma knelt down in front of Henry, “Do you trust me?”

“Emma, she’s...”

Emma put a hand on Henry’s shoulder, “Do you trust.... me?”

Henry made a face and then moved to one side. Emma stood and went after Regina and David. The rest of the town scattered except Mary Margaret, Xena and Gabrielle. Mary Margaret looked the two women up and down, “Who are you again?”

oOOOOo

Emma and David stood in front of the jail cell, while Regina sat on the cot inside. No one spoke as Mary Margaret and Henry entered the room. Mary Margaret spoke, “The two... women are getting settled at Granny’s.” She glanced towards Regina, “They seem to know who you are. What did you do now? What new hell have you brought down on us this time?”

oOOOOo

_“Hmmm.... Now, that’s an idea.”_

oOOOOo

Emma took a step towards the jail bars, and David moved into her path, “She saved my life David. Has she asked for anything? If she just stood there, you.... you, not she, would have killed me David. But she saved me, and saved you from a life sentence. You have no reason to hold her.”

“She has a plan, she always has a plan. And, she needs to pay for her other crimes.”

Emma held her hand out, “Give me the sword David.”

David frowned, “Excuse me?”

Emma didn’t move her hand, “Am I still the Sheriff?” David didn’t respond, “If I am, I need your sword before you leave this office.”

David and Emma stood there, neither moved. It was finally Mary Margaret who moved, taking the sword from David’s hands and giving it to Emma. “You won’t let her out?”

Emma blew out a breath, “Do I get to feed her, or should I just find a hose and beat her with it.” Emma held a hand up, “Never mind. Yes... for now. But... only for 24 hours.” David started to speak, but before he could Emma continued, “That’s my final offer.”

David blew out a breath, “Fine. Fine.” And he stormed towards the door. He didn’t get through it though, instead he smacked into a solid form.

The solid form spoke, and everyone’s jaws dropped, “Maybe I can be of assistance.”

“Graham?”


	9. Chapter Eight

Xena and Gabrielle sat on a bench that was in front of Storybrooke’s Library, after the appearance of the formerly dead man that everyone was calling Graham, there had been quite the impromptu party that started in the diner and spilled into the street. Now it was the next morning and the streets were empty, “What’s the plan?”

Xena glanced over at Gabrielle. “Plan? I recommend traveling down to this... Boston,” she glanced around, “Because Storybrooke makes our adventures look positively boring... and sane.”

“Xena. They’re us, I mean, they’re not us, since apparently we’re still us, but I can see it in Regina’s eyes. She’s wracked with a guilt that I’ve seen in a pair of eyes before. A pair of eyes that are close to my heart.”

“Me.”

Gabrielle’s mouth creased into just a bit of a smile as she rolled her eyes, “Yes X-- you.” She sighed, “Of course, I haven’t figured out why we’re still us, or what we’re doing here. Why are we still us?”

Xena glanced around for a moment, then her hand shot out and she gripped the air as if she were gripping a neck. After a moment Ares appeared. “You. What did you do?”

Ares removed Xena’s hand from his throat, “Since I don’t need to breathe, that isn’t a very effective move against me, and... I did nothing. You--” He glanced over at Gabrielle, “And the blondie did it all. Somehow the magic you used has started to-- snowball.” He looked back to Xena, “Can’t you feel the power that’s shifting here? This place was a hotbed to start with.” He shook his head, “Regina Mills, Queen Regina, whatever she wants to be called, she’s... I haven’t felt passion, pain, anger in a person since, well... you my dark haired beauty.” He put his hand up to touch Xena’s face, but she was faster and slapped it away.

Gabrielle ignored the interplay as she watched Emma and Henry walk down the street. “So, is this Graham really alive again?”

Ares shook his head, “I don’t know.”

Xena made a dismissive noise, “Well, what do you know?”

Ares glanced out at the street, “I know that whatever happens next, it isn’t gonna be pretty.”

oOOOOo

Graham glanced up from what had been the deputy’s desk in the Sheriff’s office as Regina shivered. “Cold?”

Regina gave a short shake of her head, “Ah, no... more like someone just walked over my grave. So to speak.”

“You’re not surprised to see me.”

Regina stood from the cot and went to the bars, gripping two of them lightly. “To be surprised I would have had to have preconceived notions of how any of our little journey was going to end. Once Emma and I ended up in that dank little shack in the middle of nowhere with an army coming at us. I stopped guessing and reacted.”

Graham shook his head, “You’re sticking with that story?”

Regina just shook her head.

Graham seemed more talkative though, “Rumpel hasn’t broken you out yet?”

Regina rolled her eyes, “This isn’t the comics Graham. The-- bad guys-- don’t all collect in one super secret lair so that the pompous vigilantes can catch us.”

Graham glanced over, “I’m supposed to be the vigilante in that example? I’m the Sheriff, the law.”

“Emma’s the Sheriff. Elected despite my interference.”

Graham turned from the desk and sat back in the chair, “Do you think she’ll let you out of your cell? With you-- in there you she has everything. Her son, a good job, her family, good friends--”

Graham trailed off and Regina chuckled, “You?”

Graham shot back, “A real life.”

The laughter faded from Regina, “Yes, right...” She backed away from the bars, “I nearly forgot. In fairy tales-- all the evil queens ever get are to die. Iron shoes perhaps? Or maybe burning in my own oven? My own house?” The twinkle of a smile almost appeared on her lips, “She saved me from that once you know.”

Graham turned back to the desk, “Us winning, you losing. That is the way the world is... and should be.”

oOOOOo

“You’re here to strike a deal.”

David blew out a breath, “No... I-- there’ll be no dealing today. If you do anything, it will be for your own good. We need to take care of Regina now, not later. Now.”

Mr. Gold pursed his lips for a moment, then nodded. “I think I have the perfect man for the job. He’ll just need a little... encouragement.” Gold paused, “What are you willing to do?”

“Anything.”

Gold nodded, and handed David a piece of paper, “Good, retrieve this young lady.”

“Gold I’m...”

Gold shook his head and cut David off, “You aren’t going to hurt her, just... entertain her for a bit.”

oOOOOo

“Shift change Graham.”

“No.”

Emma raised an eyebrow and knocked his boots off of his desk, “You trusted me before you died, what has changed?”

Graham glanced back at Regina, who lay on the cot, staring up at the ceiling. “She killed me, and, you seem to have fallen for her... schtick.”

Emma smiled just a little, “No. I haven’t fallen for anything. You weren’t here, but, I didn’t let Mary Margaret out when she was in that cell either. Go, eat dinner, after being dead, you have to be hungry.”

Graham finally stood with one last look back at Regina, “She tries anything, feel free to shoot her.”

Emma just shook her head as Graham left the office. Regina spoke from her position on the cot, “You haven’t fallen for anything?”

“Nope. I haven’t fallen for your schtick at all. I’ve fallen for you. Brought you something.” She went to the bars and stuck her hand through them. 

Regina stood, “An apple?”

“Keeping the doctor away and all that.”

Regina took the apple with one hand and threw it behind her onto the cot. She grasped Emma’s hand with her other hand. “Thank you.”

“No.” Regina frowned, “I love you Regina. And the apple is just...”

“I’m not thanking you for the Apple Emma. And, I’m not...”

“...perfect. I’m not perfect either. And, now what I just said is hangin’ there like a chad.” 

Regina laughed, “I love you too Emma.”

Emma guided Regina’s hand out between the bars and kissed the back of it, “Much better. ‘Course, don’t do that when Graham is here. He’ll figure out how to get you committed too.”

“Henry?”

“Fine. Doesn’t want to see you. I think he thinks that you made David do that to me somehow. But, Regina, Henry’s just a kid, and he’s a pre-teen, about to have all those mind altering chemicals rampaging through his brain. Hates anyone who even resembles a parent. I happen to not resemble one at the moment. You went through it, right?”

Regina’s eyes went icy, “My mother killed my fiance, so... you could say that.” Regina shook her head, “Sorry... if you think.... I love him more than anything Emma.”

“More than me?”

Regina tilted her head to one side, “Cheeky.”

“I’ll try to get him to understand that. You know Graham’s right outside.”

“I do. He’s going to be hungry, and I’ll have my apple.”

Emma chuckled, “I’ll be back.” She glanced over her shoulder, “Often.”

Regina nodded and went to the cot as Emma left the room. She heard Emma and Graham’s conversation but paid it no attention. Instead she studied the apple for a moment, and took a bite of it.

oOOOOo

“I don’t believe you.”

Gold handed Jefferson a cell phone. “Call her. Prove it to yourself. Regina took your daughter.”

Jefferson dialed Paige’s number. It went right to voice mail. Jefferson tried it again, and again, getting more and more agitated every time he tried it. Finally he slammed the phone down, breaking it apart into its pieces. “Where is she?”

“I tol...”

Jefferson caught Gold by the lapels and pulled him to his toes. “She’s in jail. Graham wouldn’t just let her out.”

Gold didn’t look ruffled at all as he answered, “You believe that could stop her?”

“Tell me where he is. Tell me where he is NOW?”

Gold met Jefferson’s gaze for a moment, perfectly silent, then lowered his eyes, “He’s at home, his and Emma’s house.”

“Key, give me your key...”

“I couldn’t...”

Jefferson pushed Gold backwards and held out his hand, “It’s one of your houses, you’re renting it to Emma. The key.”

After another purposeful pause he took out his key ring and took one off it. “Jefferson...”

He snatched the key from Gold’s hand and practically jogged to his car. Gold’s eyes seemed to twinkle with his deranged glee as Jefferson sped down the street. Gold glanced over at the Sheriff’s office, “So it begins. We could have worked together Regina... now...”

oOOOOo

_Aphrodite frowned. None of the people in Storybrooke could see her or Ares, but she was frowning because... Ares cut off her train of thought. “You’re not Graham? I take it that it wasn’t your idea that you put in Gold’s head either?”_

_“Nope. I mean, I was going to be Graham. But... I think that is actually Graham.”_

_Ares chuckled and put an arm around Aphrodite, “I like it. I think I’m rubbin’ off on you sis.”_

_“No...” She pushed him away, “No, this is bad, really bad. And, why did you appear to Xena. Oh, did you see that when Xena felt you, so did Regina? But, this is bad, really bad.”_

_Ares’ eyebrows furrowed, “I don’t see why. Love needs discord, needs challenges to be real.”_

_“Oh, that is so... that is... a load of flaming poo Ares. Love is love. The only love that-- needs-- discord is in stories. It’s a bad, bad, bad literary device that gives me a bad name.”_

_Ares chuckled, “Whatever you say sister. Whatever you say.” And with a burst of blue light he was gone._

_Aphrodite blew out a breath. “This is so bad.”_


	10. Chapter Nine

Emma paused at the doorway to her house. Something was wrong. She called out, “Henry, bud?” There was no answer, “HENRY?”

Emma came to a sudden stop in the living room. It looked as though a bomb had gone off in it. She followed the destruction, lamps, tables, chairs, the pictures on the wall, there was even a hole in the plaster. The trail ended, or maybe it had begun in Henry’s room.

She was already sprinting from the house as she dialed the phone.

oOOOOo

Graham had said nothing when he’d returned. But he hadn’t needed to use any words, the waves of dislike radiated from him. “I did care for you Graham. Maybe it wasn’t love but we--”

Graham cut Regina off, “LIke a master cares for his dog. Yes. You had my heart Madam Mayor... Regina, but you never had my love, or even like. Now, be silent.”

Regina took a bite of her apple as the phone rang. Graham answered and as his face got whiter and whiter Regina stood and moved to the bars.

“Yes, I can do that. I’m on my way Emma, don’t move.”

Graham hung up and Regina spoke, “Graham, what’s--”

“Nothing to concern you--”

Regina’s eyes flashed and she practically growled her next words, “Tell me NOW Humbert.”

Graham searched the desk until he found what had been his gun belt. “Henry’s missing and Em’s house is a mess. But, we’ll find don’t you wor--” He turned probably aiming to finish the rest of his sentence, but instead the last thing he saw before it all went black was Regina’s fist.

“Nothing to concern me, my own son isn’t of concern to me?” She shook out her fist a bit, “And no one gets but me gets to call her Em,” then high tailed it out of the Sheriff’s office.

oOOOOo

Xena and Gabrielle strolled towards the commotion in the middle of the town. Gabrielle shook her head, “They make us seem boring you know.”

“We lived in a different time, not as many overarching storylines, although just as much subtext crap.”

“What?”

“What, what?”

Gabrielle shook her head, “I just thought you sa--, never mind.... what do you think the matter is?”

“A kid? That short thing that was sorta Emma’s and sorta Regina’s.” Xena sighed.

oOOOOo

“You punched out the one person who could actually FIND Henry. You get that, right?”

Regina and Emma were nose to nose, and neither was backing down, “Yes, save the day, get the girl and the boy, and the town and...”

“Gahhhh... Two kisses, two kisses, and you’ve Married us off. You had Sex with him Reg, Sex...” Emma tried to take a step back as she put a hand to her head. “I just... we can’t... Henry. Graham was our only damn way to find Henry. Remember....” Emma stared at Regina, “Your Son?”

Regina stood perfectly still for a long moment, and then it was she who took a small step backwards, “I... I wasn’t thinking.”

A bitter laugh came from behind Emma, “Right, are you sure this isn’t a campaign stunt Madam Mayor, or a sympathy stunt?”

Regina opened her mouth, but it was Emma who spoke first, “Shut up Blanchard.”

Xena cleared her throat, “As much as I really, really, really shouldn’t get involved. I could find him.”

Regina turned and looked Xena up and down, “You’re a tracker.”

Gabrielle spoke up, “Best in all of Greece.”

Xena rolled her eyes, “My marketing director,” and got a push in the ribs for her troubles.

Regina crossed her arms over her chest, “We’re not in Greece.”

“Show me where it all started.”

Emma nodded, “Okay, alright... if you’re...”

Gabrielle cut Emma off, “We have no dog in this fight. So trust us, don’t trust us, but Xena can find your son.”

Emma pointed, “That house, the bedroom I think.”

Xena nodded, “Good,” Xena and Gabrielle started towards the house, followed by Mary Margaret, Emma and Regina, but Xena stopped all of them. “Stay here,” Regina started to say something, so Xena amended her statement, “For now. Stay here for now, I’ll be back out.”

Uncomfortable silence fell over the Storybrooke street. Regina spoke softly to Emma, “Em, I’m... I’m sorry.”

Emma shook her head, “Later.”

Silence descended again until Xena and Gabrielle appeared at the door. “They went out the back.” No one moved, “Are you people coming, or what?”

oOOOOo

“Najara, maybe with a side of Amarice.”

Gabrielle crouched down next to Xena, “What are you talking about?”

“Mary Margaret, I finally figured out who she reminds me of.”

“Xena...”

“What, am I wrong. Who seems to be dead set against Emma finding happiness with medium heighted, dark and brooding?”

“Could we just find the child X--?”

Xena pointed towards a copse of trees. “That way, just past the trees. There’s a meadow, and it’s Henry and... a man.”

Xena and Gabrielle led Mary Margaret, Regina, and Emma through the trees. Everyone came to a halt. Jefferson knew that they were there. “If anyone comes any closer I will slit the boy’s throat. Where is my Grace?”

No one spoke, and Jefferson pointed the knife at Regina for a moment, “WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!”

Regina shook her head, “I don’t know Jefferson.”

“Liar.”

Mary Margaret started to speak, “Did you.”

Emma cut her mother off, “Shut up.”

Regina held out her hands and slowly approached Jefferson, “I have done a lot of bad things, in the fairy tale world and here. I will admit to any of them that you want me to. But, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I wouldn’t take Grace. I couldn’t have, I was in jail.”

“SO, so.... no... Mr. Gold, Rumpel, he told me...”

Regina cut him off, “See, there’s your problem, he lied. I don’t know where your daughter is, but, I could help you.”

“NO... no... stay there. Don’t come any closer.” 

Regina nodded and stopped. She was a couple of yards away from Jefferson and Henry, but with the knife Jefferson was holding against Henry’s neck it seemed like a million miles. “Let him go, take me instead, and we’ll find her. After all, where can she go?”

Jefferson was still, thinking it over. Regina tried to meet Henry’s eyes, reassure him a bit, but, he wouldn’t look at her. She pushed down the hurt. Told herself that it didn’t matter if he appreciated what she was doing or not, that he lived through this was the only thing that mattered. Finally Jefferson spoke, “Come closer...”

Regina did, and in one surprisingly smooth motion Jefferson pushed Henry away and pulled Regina to him. Regina heard a ‘No...’ from Emma, and watched as Henry dashed to Emma. Jefferson whispered in Regina’s ear. “We’ll find my daughter, and then I will kill you.”

“I know.”

That surprised Jefferson, “What?”

Regina’s voice dripped with haughtiness, “You’re an amateur Jefferson. I could tell you what you will do next.”

“You-- you knew?”

Regina glanced out of the side of her eye at Jefferson, “I am Queen Regina, you could never surprise me.”

Jefferson sputtered, his knife dipping just a bit away from Regina’s jugular, “Bu-bu... look, just take me to Grace. Paige.”

Something hit Jefferson in the back of the head and the knife cut into Regina as they both tumbled to the ground. Emma was over to Regina in a moment, “Reg, are you okay?”

Regina crawled out from under Jefferson and stood, putting a hand to her collarbone for a moment and coming away with blood. “I think I’ll live. If anyone cares, my guess is that Rumpel has Paige stashed somewhere.” Her gaze went to Mary Margaret, “I’d try her... friend... David’s place first.”

Emma tried to look at Regina’s injury, but Regina gently pushed aside the blonde’s hand. “I’m fine. You can check on... your son.” Graham came sprinting into the clearing and Regina shook her head, “Maybe Graham can help you with that.”


	11. Chapter Ten

Gabrielle sat down next to Emma and watched Regina watch Henry and Paige playing in the clearing while Jefferson, David and Graham talked, “Regina’s an angry person. She has fire in her eyes. She’s also lost a lot. But, when she yells it doesn’t mean she’s angry at you.”

“Yeah, I know. Still...”

“Hard to get used to being the one being yelled at even when you know she’s not really yelling... at... you?” Emma nodded. “If you stick with her for long enough, it’ll get better. I promise. Xena... she did things that would make Regina seem like an angel, and got the short end of the stick quite a few times herself, and... well, I think I’ve trained her quite well.”

A laugh came from behind the blondes, “You think you’re funny.”

Gabrielle didn’t turn around, “Shoo now, I’m having my sensitive chat with Emma here. You go talk to the brooding one alright?”

Xena walked by, but not before leaning down and kissing Gabrielle. “Yes ma’am.”

“I ah, I don’t need a sensitive chat, whatever that is. I know who Regina is. Very much know that. She’s... maybe it is fate of some sort, maybe it’s because she’s my mother’s mortal enemy and I’m the kid who has to save the world, and I do that by making her happy. I’ve never ever ever been in love with a woman, had a few nights with them, but, who hasn’t. But Regina... Reg...” Emma’s eyes went to Regina, “I’ve never wanted to spend the rest of my life with someone either. Commitment, never thought it was me, but with her...”

Gabrielle smiled as Xena sat down next to Regina, “Yeah.... don’t lead with that thing about commitment. Let her figure out that you’re her future first... there’ll be a lot less...”

“...uncomfortable silences?”

“Something like that, yes.”

oOOOOo

“Thank you.”

Xena inclined her head, “You’re welcome. He reminds me a lot of my son Solan. He... he didn’t have long on this Earth, and so I wanted different for your son.”

“Do you think that we, Emma and I, we could have an ounce of what you and Gabrielle have?”

Xena sighed, “I don’t know...”

Regina looked over at Xena, surprised, “Ah...”

Xena shrugged, “Not because of you two. But... the world does not always let us have what we want. The world makes us make choices, live or die, be happy ourselves, or... let our children be happy.” Xena paused, “What would you give up?”

Regina frowned, “For what?”

Xena crossed her arms over her chest, “If you could...” She paused and seemed to get lost in herself for a moment, “You have two choices. We...” Regina raised an eyebrow and Xena started over, “Gabrielle got them to agree to a compromise. No one is happy with it, so it must be a good one, right? You have two choices. You leave town and they leave you alone, or you stay here and they’ll try you, or kill you, or maybe worse. So, the question you have to ask yourself a simple question. Do you really love your boy? Do you love him so much that you’ll let someone else raise him?”

Regina sat totally still. Finally she looked up at Xena again, “Tell them, yes. I’ll leave, never come back... but, I have a condition.”

Xena smirked, and bit back a chuckle, “Yeah, we always do....”

oOOOOo

Emma unlocked the cell door and took a step back, letting Regina out. They’d put her back in when everyone had gotten back to town. A grumble came from behind them, and Emma shook her head, “Graham. I’m too old for a babysitter.”

Graham met Regina’s eyes and narrowed his own, “Of course. I’ll be outside.”

Graham left the Sheriff’s office and stopped in the hallway, going perfectly still.

Regina stared at the doorway, “You know he’s still out there.”

Emma shook her head, “I don’t care. I tried to... Henry wouldn’t come with me.”

“I--” Regina trailed off and sank down into one of the desk chairs, “I-- I knew that part of the condition was a reach. Please, just, keep him safe, from Gold, from anyone who wants to hurt him, okay?”

Emma pulled over another chair and sat in it, taking Regina’s hand in her own, “With my last breath. You don’t have to go, how many of them have done bad things too? None of them is white as the driven snow... ah, so to speak. We can win.”

“I-- I killed Graham.”

“But for whatever reason, however it is, he’s alive again.”

“I killed my father.” Emma didn’t have an answer for that. “It’s okay. You’re Henry, Henry my father, I’m Cora. And I don’t want to create another me.” She closed her eyes for a moment and felt Emma’s finger brush her cheek, “Wh...”

“Regina.”

She cleared her throat, “No matter what I do, I lose. It’s my lot in life. I understand that now. But... if, if he, or you ever needs anything. Anything.”

Emma let go of Regina’s hand for a moment, “No, don’t do that whole swallow back the sad thing you’re doing right now, okay. I-- I-- ah, I have something for you.”

Regina blinked, “Emma....”

Emma cut Regina off with two fingers to her lips, “Shh... your tree.” Emma opened her hand. In it sat a locket. Emma opened it, a small splinter was on one side, a picture of Henry and Emma on the other.

Regina narrowed her eyes at Emma, “You just can’t help yourself. Always destroying my tree huh?”

Emma chuckled, “Something like that. This time, I left most of it intact. And for a good cause. Turn around.” 

Regina did and Emma put the necklace around Regina’s neck. Regina turned back and found her lips captured by Emma. She pulled the blonde towards her and the world faded away. Nothing else mattered.

oOOOOo

Henry looked both ways and then stuck his head just a little through the door. He’d snuck in through the window into Emma’s office. Just to see what was going on. He blinked, his Mom and Emma were kissing. Like, really kissing not auntie kissing or friend kissing on the cheek or whatever. Like what Mary Margaret and David sometimes did. He watched as Regina tried to pull away and she said something. Henry frowned, she was crying and Emma was wiping her tears away, saying something back that made Regina smile just a little bit.

Henry frowned and pulled his head back into the office and gently closed the door. He blew a breath out, his eyebrows furrowed so low he nearly looked like a Vulcan. He was confused, really, really confused. Regina was the Evil Queen, but she was also his Mom, and Emma seemed to really like Regina, even though they were supposed to be enemies. Which was right.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**~ 6 Months Later**

“Momma, why can’t we go onto the island, there’s a road and everything?”

The woman looked up from her Kindle, blinking in surprise, she’d been-- very-- involved in the book she’d been reading. “Ah, I don’t know kiddo.”

Another young girl, sitting a bit away from the mother and daughter on the grass spoke up, “It’s ‘cause a witch lives over there, and we totally used to be able to go over and jump in the quarry’s and stuff and it was tons of fun.” The girl hurfed, “But now it’s all scary and... and...”

“Momma, what’s a witch?”

The mother shook her head, “Nothing Maria There are no such things as witches.”

The other young girl didn’t like being called a liar, “Yeah, well, then she never leaves, so how does she get food?”

Maria looked back at her mother, “Momma?”

The woman shook her head, “Perhaps a boat docks on the other side of the island, or she eats fish. It’s not nice to call people witches.”

Maria didn’t look like she was agreeing with her mother. She looked over at the girl that was her age for a long moment, “Momma, may I play with....”

“... Sammy.”

“Sammy? We can go in the the water, look for cool shells to show to Daddy or somethin’?”

Maria’s mother glanced down at her Kindle then over at Sammy, “No more talk of witches.” Sammy shrugged, “Alright, but, stay within sight Maria.”

Maria sprang to her feet, “Yes Momma... C’mon Sammy....” And they were off the grass and scrambling over rocks towards the sliver of a bit of protected beach where it was rapidly becoming low tide.

oOOOOo

“Why would they do this Xena?”

Xena chuckled, “Better you than me.”

Gabrielle waved a finger at Xena, “Nope, you can try and pretend, but you like it here. You keep saying, Boston, LA, Canada, but we haven’t left yet, and now it’s too late isn’t it.”

“Is it my fault that you’re just such a good Mayoral candidate?”

Gabrielle sighed, “No, I’m just the only one who isn’t scared out of his or her mind of Gold and his little machinations.”

“You know that you only piss him off more by calling them little machinations.”

“X-- I’ve faced gods, my own half psycho daughter... Gold and his little deals, they’re cute.”

Xena was silent for a time, “We are going to leave.” She glanced up the road, towards the big empty white house, “Once Regina and Henry are back together as they should be. We’ll leave, find new adventures in this new world. Leave these... fairy tale characters to their tales and make our own.”

“Mmmhmmm.... X-- Isn’t that Henry?”

Indeed, Henry was riding on his bike, towards the edge of town, like a bat outta hell.

Xena groaned, “He finally figured it out didn’t he... guess we’ll get to get out of here sooner rather than later.” Xena glanced over her shoulder as if she was looking at someone, “Aphrodite will be happy I think.”

oOOOOo

_Aphrodite touched her head, then moved to the sidewalk and waved a hand in front of Archie. He didn’t react at all. “How in tarnation does she do that?”_

_“It’s annoying, isn’t it? Figured out who brought Graham back from the dead yet?”_

_“No. Ares, don’t you have another American ‘copter to shoot down or something? Maybe destroy Mars Curiosity?”_

_“Dite, I hate to tell you, but I haven’t had to start a war in.... centuries, a couple of battles here and there, sure, but not a war. Not since taking out Franz. The world hasn’t needed any of my little pushes in quite awhile. So, how’s your little project going?”_

_Aphrodite blew out a breath, “Regina’s on an Island, scaring small children, Emma and Henry are here sniping at each other. And... and they elected Gabrielle Mayor.”_

_Ares laughed, “So, then, so far so good.” Aphrodite took a menacing step towards Ares, well, as menacing as a blonde dressed all in pink almost lingerie and sky high heels could look going up against a gruff, bearded, leather wearing god of war. Still, Ares took a step back, “Hey, don’t blame me. This was all your idea. So, want some help?”_

_“From you? Why?”_

_Ares shrugged, “Oh, you might get your love at the end of the rainbow sis, but... first there’s going to be some fun for sure.”_

_“I don’t...” Before Aphrodite could say anything else though, Ares was gone. “Ares.... Ares...”_

_Aphrodite put a hand over her eyes._

oOOOOo

Sammy glanced up where Maria’s Mom seemed to be immersed in her Kindle again. “Ah... Maria, are, you sure we should...”

Maria frowned, “I’ve never seen a witch, and I wanna. I’m gonna go by myself then. Okay.”

Sammy made a face at Maria, “Fine, whatever. You’re a poopy head. Do ya want to walk or, swim?”

Maria’s face lit up, “We can swim? I’m awesome at swimming, my instructor at the Y said so. But... we should probably walk right?” Sammy shrugged. “Let’s go.”

oOOOOo

Henry jumped as a horn honked at him. He skidded to a stop on his bicycle and turned towards the car. The passenger side window rolled down, “I’m not going back. I’m gonna find, find...”

“Your mom?”

Henry made a face, “I don’t. Emma’s my mother. I think, I mean, I love Emma. But then I think of Mom, Regina, and, my heart squeezes and...” He cleared his throat, “I miss her. I even miss her bugging me about my room and all the other wicked hover-y things she does.”

“Yep. Henry has two Mommies. So, are you gonna get in or not short stuff?” Xena reached down and popped the trunk open. “Bike in the back, you in the front.”

Henry shook his head, “I’m not going back.”

“Who said I was going to take you back.”

That gave Henry pause, “Oh.”

“Yeah. So, get in, before a Trooper gets here and we both have to go back.”

Henry hefted his bike into the trunk and slammed it closed, sliding into the passenger side of the car and buckling his seatbelt almost in one motion. “You didn’t tell Gabrielle?”

Xena winced, “No, I definitely told her. Running off without telling Gabrielle has never worked out well for me. Usually I wind up in squalid water with an itchy nose. Nope. I didn’t tell your mother though, Emma I mean.”

“Ooh...”

“Yeah.” They fell silent for a bit, both watching as they got off of the back road that led to Storybrooke and onto Route 1. It was Xena who finally broke the silence. “You know, I had to choose like your Mom, like Regina did.”

Henry frowned, “But, I mean, she kept saying that she loved me, she loved me all those times, but then. Then she just left.”

Xena nodded, “So did I. Sometimes you have to. I loved my son more than anything in the world, and because I loved him so much I gave him to the people I knew could defend him, keep him safe. Regina did that by letting you stay in Storybrooke while she went away. You think any of those peeps would ever let anything happen to you?”

“Yeah, but, he was actually yours, you know. I mean, Mom could just, go find someone else and have more kids or whatever. I’m not hers.”

“I don’t think that you really believe that Henry. Do you?”

Silence fell in the car again. “You really know where she is?”

“I do. Do you want me to take you to her?”

Henry thought for a moment, then nodded, “Yes. Yes please.”

“Gotcha, Regina Mills, here we come.”

“Xena, how do you know where she is...?”

Xena smiled, “Oh kid, I have many skills.”

oOOOOo

Sammy swallowed back the fear, she sorta knew that maybe Maria’s Mom was right, that there was no such thing as witches, but, she lived across the cove from the island, and there’d been a night when she couldn’t sleep ‘cause it was so, so, so hot inside, and so she had gone out onto the porch, and over the island there had been this sort of, glow almost. Not like bright UFO-ish lights or anything, it just looked totally different than it had looked any other night, or day.

“We, we should go back, your Mom’s probably gonna be all freaked out and, and...”

Maria waved Sammy off, “Whatever, she’s all into the book on the screen. My grandmom, who’s here with us was all pissed off about it, they totally had a fight this morning about it. What, are you chicken?”

“I--”

Before Sammy could get another word out a dog dashed across their path, it almost looked like a Golden, except, well, it was definitely not Golden in color, more of a dirty grey. Before Sammy could blink, Maria raced after it, “Maria, wait....” Sammy pushed down all her fear and quickly followed after Maria.

oOOOOo

Mary Margaret blew through Emma’s front door, nearly taking it off its hinges. “Where is he? He’s here. Where his he?”

Emma put a hand on Mary Margaret’s shoulder, “Who Mary Margaret?”

“Your son, Henry, he was supposed to meet me at the diner, to get ready for school next year. He said he wanted to talk. He didn’t tell you?”

Emma cut Mary Margaret off, “Mary Margaret, yes, I knew he was going to meet you at Granny’s. You’re saying he never made it?”

Mary Margaret sagged down onto the couch, “No, no, he didn’t. It was her, she... she somehow got into town with no one knowing, and, she took him.”

Emma shook her head, “She didn’t.”

Mary Margaret’s eyes flashed as she stared at Emma, “And how do you know that?”

“Because she wouldn’t do that. If she was going to take him she’d have taken him with her to begin with, or she’d come in on the main road, she’d make a show of it, and she’d take him from the house. No...” She dialed her phone and put it to her ear, “No... once a runner, always runner.” She mumbled, “Guess it’s in the genes.”

“You know where he is?”

“Not specifically, but I can guess who he’s going to see.”

“Her? Why? He has you, he has all of us, what is it about Regina Mills? She’s not the good guy in this story Emma. She has done nothing but ruin lives. You of all people should understand that.”

Emma made a face at the phone, “Great, no service. Maine needs more water towers to put more cell phone antennas on.” She blew out a breath and looked towards Mary Margaret pointedly, “She never ruined his life.” She climbed the stairs and after a moment of hesitation pushed open the door to Henry’s room. She gave the room a once over, then went over to the bookcase and pulled out a black and white patterned notebook. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened it to a random page.

_She’s the Evil Queen, she’s the Evil Queen. I think. I mean. She is, but, why do I miss her. I wish I could ask Emma that. I mean ask Mom that, no, she’s my Mom, but she’s also Emma, because my Mom is my Mom too. But I was so certain about everything and I didn’t even say good-bye. Why didn’t I say good-bye. I should have said good-bye to my Mom._

Emma cleared her throat as Mary Margaret came into the room and put hand on Emma’s back, “Are you okay?”

Emma didn’t say anything, but flipped to another page.

_School sucked so much today. I was talking to Paige, which was so great and so much fun, and then Thomas came over and, and then Paige talked to him and ignored me, and I... I did something really, reallly stupid, and then... and then I got away with it. Does, what do I do now? Am I going to turn into her now? Or... I wish I could just talk to her once, ask her._

Emma flipped the page forward and backwards, but there was nothing more about what specifically he had done. She frowned, and went to the last page in the journal.

_I went to the library and asked the librarian about stuff about science. About how kids grow up and everything. I thought that she’d be really mean and all squinty eyes, trying to figure out why I wanted it. But she didn’t. I did ask if she was going to tell Emma what I was looking at, but she promised that she wouldn’t, said that as long as it wasn’t something dangerous that I got to read whatever I wanted. She even showed me both stuff in the kid’s area and also in the stacks, she called them stacks, even though they’re not really in stacks, they’re on shelves just like all the other books._

_I found a few that talked about the difference between who you are based on what’s in your body, the DNA, the genetics is what they called it, vs. what you get taught by your parents or friends or brothers and sisters and stuff. The book called it nature vs. nurture. I guess that sorta means that I got a lot of stuff from Emma, but I can also sorta get who I am from my Mom Regina too, even though she’s not the one who had me._

_Oh, and there was also this picture of, it looked like a big mouth, but was called something else, and, looked sorta scary._

A snort of laughter came from Emma as she shook her head and mumbled to herself, “Definitely time for the birds and the bees talk.”

Mary Margaret gripped Emma’s shoulder and turned her, “Emma. Tell me where she is?”

Emma opened her phone and dialed a number from memory. A number that wasn’t on her contact list. “Hey, it’s me. Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve been...” She glanced around, “It’s too long a story. When it’s over I’ll buy you a twelve pack and tell you all about it.” Emma made a face, “Yes, whatever foofy kind you want. Ocean Cat or whatever... I need a last location on a cell phone. I’m getting a ‘we’re in the wilds of Maine somewhere and so getting no signal’ instead of hearing the voice I want to hear on the other end of the phone.” Emma waited for a long time, putting a hand up when Mary Margaret started to speak again, “Really. No, that is helpful, I think I know exactly where s... exactly where I’m going. Thanks. Yeah, I won’t forget. Twelve pack. River Hamster or whatever brand. Yeah, Sea Dog.... I know.”

Emma reshelved Henry’s journal and brushed past Mary Margaret and down the stairs. The brunette had to hurry to keep up with Emma. “Where are you going?”

“A good question.”

Graham stood in her doorway. Emma rolled her eyes, “Please, let’s have a party at my house. The entire town can get in my business.”

Mary Margaret shook her head, “Wherever you’re going, we’re going with you.”

“Yes.”

Emma glanced up at Gabrielle and shook her head, “Fine, fine, it’ll be a party. I’m going to pick up my son, and we’re taking my car. You two.” She pointed at Graham and Mary Margaret, “You two get to ride in the back, or follow in the squad car.”

oOOOOo

“Xena-- Do you, have... a... a tie or something?”

Xena pulled into an Inn’s parking lot. There was more road, but, Xena figured that driving onto Regina’s island probably wasn’t a good idea. Xena was prepared for whatever came their way if she was on her own two feet, but she still wasn’t used to the humongous belching cars that everyone seemed to obsess about. Now, horses, horses were great. You got drunk at a tavern some night. Your horse could get you home, or at least out of town. Not something a car could do.

“Trust me kid, when she sees you, she’s not going to care what you’re wearing.”

They got past the Inn and Xena blinked. They had company, a lot of company. It seemed as if the Maine State Police were about to breach the border of Canada. Cars upon cars, their blue lights all flashing sat willy nilly, though none had crossed over the invisible halfway line on the causeway. Most of the activity seemed centered around a young girl, and a thirty or so year old woman. 

Xena caught snippets of conversation. There was a girl missing. Maria. Sammy had been with her, but then there was a dark haired dog and Maria had gone after him, and Sammy had lost Maria but had found the trail and came back and raised the alarm. And what an alarm it had been. The mother was having a defcon level one freak out for some reason. Something about a witch living on the island. And how witch was code for someone who didn’t like kids and that her Maria was going to get hurt by this witch.

Xena rolled her eyes and sniffed the air, and smiled, “Hey Henry. You up for an exciting ride?”

“Exciting?”

“Oh yeah.... “

oOOOOo

Maria ran and ran and ran. She’d started the whole adventure running after the dog, but somehow it had gotten behind her, and now it was running after her. She stumbled over a root and went sprawling and the dog was nearly to her when a big form seemed to nearly fly from out behind a tree. The form said nothing, just stood between the dog and Maria. The dog growled and through the person’s legs Maria could see that it was trying to get by the person. But, whoever it was, wasn’t backing down, even as the dog barked and tried to nip at the person. Finally the dog seemed to get tired and with a last sniff he trotted off.

Regina gave a scary growl of her own and Mary jerked, putting her hands over her head, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry....”

Regina looked down at the girl, she had to be almost Henry’s age. Regina rolled her eyes, “Do none of you or your generation live in the real world, ever?”

The girl looked up from under her arms, “You’re not gonna turn me into, into a pig or something?”

Regina crossed her arms over her chest, “I haven’t decided yet. Tell me, which story is that from?”

“Duh, The Odyssey, Odysseus’ crew all ate stuff and were all rude and whatever, and so she made them into what they were.”

Regina bowed her head and held out a hand. “Are you hungry young lady?” She nodded quickly as she took Regina’s hand and was hauled up, “And lost I would guess. Follow me if you would. And try not to step on anything that looks likes a flower or a plant. Do you have a name?”

“Maria. Can you turn me into a pig or a goat or whatever?”

Regina sighed and shook her head, “Is it the hair? Eyebrows? Perhaps the scar?”

Maria looked confused, “Um... are you talking to me?”

Regina shook her head again and stepped aside. Maria’s mouth dropped open, “Whoa... wow. That’s totally a castle.”

“That was my first thought when I saw it as well.” Regina opened the front door and cleared her throat, “Shoes off.”

Maria made a face at Regina, but slipped out of her water shoes. “Too many rules. My mom makes up rules too, they’re dumb.”

“Rules are there so that young ladies such as yourself don’t get stuck in strangers’ houses. They’re a good thing.”

Maria made a pffftt sound. “Yeah, like you follow rules. Everybody’s scared of you right? Even Sammy, and she looks all tom-boyish so probably isn’t scared of anything.”

Regina paused in the doorway to the kitchen and turned to face Maria, “It’s true, sometimes adults break the rules. Sometimes we should, most often, we shouldn’t either. Grilled cheese?”

Maria narrowed her eyes, “If I eat it is it gonna mean that I can never ever ever leave the house.”

Regina sighed, “Yes Maria, forever and ever.”

Maria was silent for a moment, then shrugged, “Okay. Do you have apple juice too?”

“Grape only.”

“Grape is okay I guess.”

oOOOOo

It seemed as though Graham and Mary Margaret popped out of the Sheriff’s car like their butts were on fire. Gabrielle got out slower from Emma’s small yellow car. Not rushing at all.

Emma wasn’t rushing much either although she did jog towards the commotion, but didn’t even get halfway there as she was nearly run over by of all things, a horse. From her butt on the ground she watched as Xena with Henry hanging onto her for dear life riding a horse towards the causeway. The horse never paused as it ran through the squad cars as if it was a maze. Never breaking stride, and it didn’t even look as if Xena were guiding the horse either.

Gabrielle laughed and let out a whoop.

Soon the police and everyone else noticed the two riders as well. Some raised their weapons while others stood with their mouths open. 

Emma sprinted to them. “Stop. That’s my son.” Everyone turned to her and she sighed to herself, this was going to be a long explanation.


	13. Chapter Twelve

“Mmm... thank you Ms. Mills.”

“You’re welcome Maria.”

Maria glanced up, “Do you hear that?” She scrambled out of her seat and out of the house. Regina shook her head and followed.

A minute after she did a horse with two riders broke into her front yard area. Regina blinked in surprise, “Henry?”

Henry waved as Xena got down and helped him down. “That was totally awesome Xena... AWESOME!”

Maria went over to the horse and Xena, “Can I touch him?”

Xena nodded, “If you’re careful, yes, but, he’s a she.”

“Oh-- cool.”

Henry slowly approached Regina. She sat on her house’s steps and Henry came to a stop in front of her. “Hi.”

“You ran away from Storybrooke.” Henry nodded, “You shouldn’t do that Henry. The worry that--”

He cut Regina off, “I know. I’m sorry. I--” He cleared his throat, “I was playing with Paige and Thomas came up to us. She started to pay attention to him and... and so I told him. I mean, it doesn’t matter, but it was a lie about what someone else said about him, and he believed me, and, and... then I got away with it too, and...” Henry looked down, then back up at Regina. “Mom, am I evil too?”

Regina swallowed, guilt washing over her. She held out out her arms. “Will you sit next to me?”

Henry nodded just a little and sat down next to Regina. “I’m sorry that I didn’t say good-bye, and... and stuff. I saw you kiss Emma though...”

Regina raised an eyebrow, “And you’re changing the subject young man. We were talking about you.”

Henry made a face, “Yeah.”

“No, you’re not evil Henry. You are quite possibly one of the nicest most considerate people I’ve ever known. But, no one is perfect. You shouldn’t have told a lie, and it’s not good that you got away with it, but, do you plan to ever do that to Thomas or anyone else again?”

“No. But.... but what if I can’t help it.”

Regina placed a kiss on top of Henry’s head, “Hon, I wasn’t born evil either. None of us are. We are what we choose to do, or not do, so, all you have to do is when you go back, you choose to do good and you will be good.”

Henry looked up at Regina, “What about you Mom? Are you good now?”

“It’s... it’s not that easy.”

Xena spoke up, “Sure it is. Look at me. Gabrielle was the one who taught me that I could turn my life around. And... because of that somehow I wound up in Elysia with her instead of Tartarus where I was sure I deserved to end up. I travelled the world helping people. You probably can’t do that, but, find something where you can do good for someone other than yourself, maybe even all those stuck up Storybrooke-ites might look on ya better.”

“You were listening.”

Xena smiled over at Gabrielle, who had Mary Margaret, Graham, Sammy and Emma all trailing behind her. “Sometimes, when I was looking away from you. ‘Cause looking at you, just do damn distracting.”

That got Xena a whack on the shoulder, and a kiss.

Mary Margaret was the first one to get to Henry. “Are you alright Henry? Regina hasn’t hurt you?”

Regina resisted rolling her eyes, but just barely.

Graham spoke up from next to Maria and the horse, “You took this child? Her mother is looking for her. Even called in the Maine State Troopers.”

Regina started to answer, but Maria spoke first, “Took me, nuh uhh, totally rescued me from a big mangy dog, and then gave me good food, and grape juice, I would have liked apple, but, it’s okay. Grape is okay. You’re hairy, not like the dog though, and sorta cute, can I see my mom now?”

Graham looked between the group at the house’s entrance and the young girl. He sighed and held out a hand. “Alright, let’s get you back.”

Maria started talking about the coming school year, the pets, real and stuffed that she had and everything else that popped into her head. Sammy had a long look at Henry, but then quickly caught up with Graham and Maria.

Also, with no words Gabrielle and Xena both went to the horse and with a few words they walked and led it towards where Graham and Maria had walked.

That left Mary Margaret, Emma, Henry, and Regina in front of Regina’s house in uncomfortable silence.

Mary Margaret was the one who finally spoke up, “Ready to go home?”

“No, I’m staying with my Mom.”

Mary Margaret nodded, “In Storybrooke.”

Henry shook his head, “No, not Emma... I mean living with both Emma and Mom would be wicked cool, but... but I want to live with my Mom.” Henry looked up at Regina and got an alarmed look on his face, “Mom, why are you crying?”

Regina cleared her throat and put a hand to Henry’s cheek, “Thank you Henry.”

Emma finally spoke up, “Regina, it’s up to you, do we stay or go?”

Regina shook her head, “You don’t want to hear my answer Emma.”

Emma moved by Mary Margaret and pulled Regina to her feet. “Mary Margaret doesn’t, but I do. But, I don’t even have to ask here or Storybrooke. I can see it in your eyes.”

Regina nodded, “Despite what Sammy thinks. I have friends here. The Innkeepers across the way are good people, down the coast a little there’s a father and son who helped fix the deplorable septic system that had been put in. Here. I’m just Regina Mills, no one has any preconceived notions. No one holds any grudges. It’s peaceful, restful... I’m going to stay.” She met Emma’s gaze. Their hands still intertwined. “I would like you to stay as well.”

Emma nodded, “Yes.”

Regina glanced down at Henry, “How about you Henry?”

“Yes-- um... are you guys going to kiss a lot though?”

Emma snorted a laugh, “A ton bud.”

“Awww man...” He blew out a breath, “Yeah-- fine, okay.” Something else occurred to him. “I bet we need a dog. All the rabbits and stuff and a guard dog and whatever.”

“Lawyer?”

Regina nodded, “Oh yes, Henry Mills, JD.” Henry just rolled his eyes.

Mary Margaret finally couldn’t take it anymore, “That’s it? You three live here. The rest of us fend for ourselves while you get away scot free Regina?”

Emma let go of Regina’s hands and turned, “Mary Margaret, you live happily ever after with your Prince. I live happily ever after with my Queen. Perhaps without Regina there Gold and Belle live happily ever after too. Ruby and Granny get a new start if they want one, Archie and the rest of the town too...”

“Stop. Stop. You’re talking like nothing is wrong, as if Regina isn’t an evil witch who’s hurt everyone she’s ever come in contact with. Like she’s a normal human being.” Mary Margaret paused, “Like she hasn’t killed people.”

Regina met Mary Margaret’s gaze and nodded, “I give you my word Mary Margaret.... Snow. I will spend every moment I have left on this Earth trying to make up for killing my father. Trying to live better, do better. If I thought that getting thrown in jail would help anyone... and, how would you explain my father’s death, and explain Graham?”

Mary Margaret tried another tack, “Emma, you’re our Sheriff...”

“So was Graham and he seemed like a pretty good one to me. Look, please Mary Margaret...” She paused, “Snow-- For a moment, just be happy for me? Please.”

Mary Margaret stood there, perfectly still as the sounds of the forest washing over all of them. Finally she hugged Emma as tightly as she could. “I love you.” She looked over Emma’s shoulder at Regina, “And I have ruined your life before... Regina...” She took a step back and regarded Emma. “If you ever need anything...”

“I know.”

Mary Margaret took Henry by the hand and led him a few feet away. Regina leaned closer to Emma, “Are you sure this is where you want to be Em. I’d understand....”

Emma kissed Regina quiet, as Xena and Gabrielle appeared in the clearing. “It’s where I want to be with every fiber of my being.”

Regina still looked pensive, “I can’t promise that I won’t be pig headed and controlling and... and just wrong sometimes. Do stupid things.”

Emma was silent for a moment, “I love you more than anything, so, we’ll muddle through. You will promise that if you get the urge to stick your hands in someone and yank out their heart you’ll tell me first, and if I get the irresistible urge to run, which, happens more often than not I’ll tell you. Deal?”

Regina nodded. Emma kissed the dark haired former mayor again and then joined Henry and Mary Margaret

Xena joined Regina near the house and Regina asked for a favor, “Xena. Do something for me, will you? My apple tree in Storybrooke, before you leave for your adventures with Gabrielle. Cut it down okay?”

Xena frowned, “Really? You sure?”

Regina looked over at Emma and Henry and Mary Margaret as they all talked. “Very. It’s... it’s my past. They’re my future.”

“Will do. No more walls of hearts and stuff though?”

“No more walls of hearts.”

“Good, ‘cause, since I’m a good guy and stuff, I’m pretty sure that Gabrielle would make me come back up here and kick your butt.”

Regina tilted her head to one side, “Oh, you believe you could?”

Xena made a harumph noise, “With both my hands tied behind my back child.”

Regina narrowed her eyes at Xena, but said nothing more.

oOOOOo

“Is this a good idea?”

Xena glanced over at Gabrielle, “Me driving?” The rest of the Storybrooke residents had piled into the squad car and had already headed back towards Storybrooke. Only Xena and Gabrielle had stayed for a few more minutes. Gabrielle having said she needed to say one last thing to Emma.

Gabrielle gave Xena a look, “You know what I’m talking about. Those two together are powerful, they.... collapsed? The magic that you got from someone in the Elysium fields. Should we be afraid?”

“Nah...” Xena leaned over and kissed Gabrielle over the center console. “As long as they’re together it doesn’t matter how powerful either of them is. I think that Regina’s world destroying days are far from over. Still....”

Gabrielle buckled her seatbelt, “Yeah, we’ll keep an eye on them for sure. Think that Storybrooke will survive?”

Xena tilted her head to one side as she fired up the car, “I think that Ruby and Granny’ll go down to Boston, or maybe Western Mass so that Ruby has a bit more... room. Archie and Marco, somewhere like Portland, or Augusta.”

“Mary Margaret and David?”

Xena groaned, “Aphrodite can have those two. They stay in Storybrooke, stewing because they think that they’ve lost. Fighting until the end of time with Gold over... inconsequential things, like power.”

“And us?”

“We’re gonna cut down Gina’s tree, maybe come back down this way and see if they’ve been lynched by the mainlanders yet, and then, south? Florida? Miami? North Carolina, okay... I’ve run out of places that I’ve seen on the map.”

“No. I want to see New York, New York first.”

“Wherever you want.”

“I’m going to remember you said that.”

oOOOOo

_“Happy? It all worked out in the end sis.”_

_“Eh... there’s Mary Margaret and David, and... mmmppfffmmm...”_

_“Nope. No more love, well... not dealing with others in love. There’s going to be beaches, and men and women who somehow shine as no human should be allowed to shine.” And, with that, they both disappeared in a flash of blue light._


	14. Epilogue

“Do you have your lunch?”

A sigh, “Yes Mom.” She knelt down and engulfed Henry in a hug until he had to wiggle out of the embrace.

“Do you want me to drive you to the end of the road, it’s a long wa--”

“No Mom. I’m not a baby, and I’m walking with Sammy, that’d be lame to get a ride.”

He sighed again and turned towards Emma, bracing for round two. She gave him a slightly shorter hug and ruffled his hair, “Just remember bud. If the teacher tries to give you a book, especially a big one that looks old, just say no.”

Henry rolled his eyes, “Bye Emma, bye Mom.” He ran to the center of the Causeway where Sammy waited. She took possession of his hand and they walked down the road, deep in conversation.

Emma spoke before Regina could, “He’ll be fine Reg. You know that. He’s my kid too, and if I could survive twelve years of schooling as a screwed up foster kid who got teased more than I should have, then he can survive the rest of his years as the weird kid who lives on the island with his two moms. ‘Specially with Sammy at his side to beat up whoever makes fun of him.”

That got a chuckle from Regina, “Really though, once she gets to know you she just doesn’t shut up.” Her eyes went from her son and new friend to the car that came to a stop at the causeway.

A familiar face got out and walked across the causeway. “Mary Margaret.”

Mary Margaret stopped in front of the two women, her hands folded in front of her. “I’m sorry.”

Emma frowned, “Mary Margaret, what’s wrong, where’s David?”

“We-- it was... I didn’t--” She glanced over at Regina, then back to Emma, “I had nowhere else to go, you-- Henry, you’re my only family left.”

The three women stood at the end of the causeway in uncomfortable silence. It was Regina who spoke first, “What did he do to you?”

Mary Margaret stared down at her shoes, then back up, “Look, I’ll just--”

Regina closed the distance between the two of them and to both Emma and Mary Margaret’s surprise yanked Mary Margaret’s shirt off over her head, “Take off your shoes and pants too.”

“Reg?”

Regina spoke over her shoulder as she pulled down Mary Margaret’s pants, leaving her in her underwear, and led her down towards the Cleric Island cove’s beach. “Could you get us some towels from the house please Em?”

Mary Margaret seemed so stunned that she didn’t even fight Regina’s pull or speak until Regina tried to pull her from the beach into the water. She finally resisted, “What are you doing?”

“Trust me.”

Mary Margaret finally met Regina’s eyes, “I don’t.”

Regina paused, “Then trust Em-- take a look back at the causeway.”

Mary Margaret did, Emma was gone. Mary Margaret looked back at Regina. “Fine, do what you’re going to do, get whatever your revenge you think you deserve. My daughter is worth it.”

Regina rolled her eyes and guided Mary Margaret into the water. “In a few feet it’ll drop off, a lot, just... float.”

Mary Margaret blinked as the ground under the water did indeed disappear. She lifted her legs and mostly floated on her back, “Why?”

“Shush.”

Regina tread water next to Mary Margaret with slow controlled strokes of her arms and kicks with her legs. Unlike Mary Margaret she still had on her khakis and shirt, though she’d left her shoes at the water’s edge.

Mary Margaret spoke again, “Aren’t witches allergic to water?”

Regina bantered back, “Aren’t nuns not supposed to get pregnant?”

Mary Margaret jerked around at that and wound up dunking herself. It was Regina’s hands that dragged her back to the surface. She sputtered, coughing up water, “I’m not a nun...”

Once Mary Margaret didn’t seem to be about to drown again Regina moved away by a bit again, “And I’m not a witch.”

“Then how do you explain how you escaped from your jail cell when Henry was missing? Graham still doesn’t know why you did it.”

Regina flexed her hand a bit. “When Emma sent us back from... wherever we were fighting that Persian army. When she did that, her power went through me. She was the light, I was the prism, or magnifying glass, or some combination of them both. Some of it got caught in me. I used what I had left.”

They fell silent, bobbing with the tide. A small sob came from Mary Margaret, and then it turned into a few, and then that unleashed everything she’d held in. Regina put an arm out and Mary Margaret held onto it for dear life, pulling Regina to her as she cried and cried.

Eventually Mary Margaret’s sobs slowed and subsided. She cleared her throat and looked up at Regina. The former Mayor didn’t blink. “I’m sorry.” Mary Margaret pushed at Regina and floated a little bit away. She wiped at her eyes.

“Dunk your head again.” Mary Margaret frowned over at Regina, “Trust me.”

Regina was a little surprised when Mary Margaret let herself sink under water for a moment before she popped back up. “Why?”

Regina didn’t answer the question, it was too big a question to answer in the water. Instead she swam, and then walked towards a bunch of rocks that looked over the cove. She didn’t stop until she sat on the top of them.

Mary Margaret shivered a little and jumped when Regina handed her a towel. “Where did?”

Regina raised an eyebrow, “Magic?” Mary Margaret didn’t look amused, “If you didn’t hear, I asked Emma to get them.”

Mary Margaret looked around, “So, where’s Emma?”

Regina shrugged, “That one I don’t know.”

“Why... why did you do that?”

Regina cleared her throat and looked out of the cove towards the open ocean. “I’m not... good... at crying. ‘To cry is to show weakness daughter, and my daughter is not weak’.” Regina paused, then finally blew out a breath and continued, “Taking a swim, that seemed to... help. And if I ever saw anyone coming back from my swim... which I rarely did. Being thought of as a witch does have some advantages when you want privacy. But, if I did meet someone, it was merely the salt that had irritated my eyes.”

“How... how could a mother say that?” Regina had no answer for that, so she stayed quiet. She had no doubt that Mary Margaret would continue with her questions sooner rather than later. So, she just waited. It wasn’t a long wait. “I was just a child Regina. I wanted a mother, or, or even just a friend. Someone to to...” Mary Margaret frowned, “To do what you just did now.” She stared at Regina, “People don’t change Regina. They’re born the way they are. Period.”

Regina shook her head, “No. Rumple wasn’t born evil, I wasn’t born evil. And Emma wasn’t born good, you weren’t born good. We’re just born. And we change every day. Fate should have had Emma hating me. I took away her life, I put her in foster homes, some of which were...” Regina winced, “unimaginable. Foster homes instead of in your arms. But, when she looks at me, all I see is love in her eyes. I don’t... understand it. But, someone once told me that I don’t have to understand true love, I just have to accept it.” Regina smiled, “And so every day I get up and try to be the woman that Emma sees when she sees me. So, I’m running for the seat for House District 48 as Unenrolled... not Democrat or Republican. Em convinced me not to start a Fairyland party. And every day I’m going to try and make up for every bad thing I’ve done.”

“That was a lot of words.”

Regina changed the subject, “Did Katherine come back? They reconciled?”

Mary Margaret nodded, “We were married, with this beautiful daughter before it all, and then we were apart and I didn’t know he existed, and then, he’s married, but he loves me, or he doesn’t or he does or...” Mary Margaret sighed, “Now I’ve said too many words. I... before I met him, I want to go back to before I met him.”

Regina glanced around, “Well, we could mine the causeway, hide you in our tower, or at least the second floor. You could room in the attic, but I wouldn’t recommend it, it’s not livable space.” One side of Regina’s lip curled into a half a smile, “But, in all seriousness, Henry would love it if you stayed.”

“Why, why would you just stop... stop hating me for causing Daniel to die and... invite me into your house?”

“Because, I would do anything to make Emma and Henry happy, even trying to start over with you.”

“Start over?”

Regina nodded, “My name’s Regina. I have a son, Henry, who on occasion vexes me to no end. And yet I can’t live without him. And a girlfriend, Emma, she’s a bail enforcement agent, and she’s pretty good at vexing me too, but I love her and she’s also pretty great in be...”

“Regina-- she’s my daughter.”

Regina stood, “We have a dog too. Black lab mix of some sort, likes to lick seagull poop off the rocks.”

Mary Margaret stared up at Regina, “You’re kidding?”

“As the primary cleaner of the dog I’m not. His name is Spot.”

Mary Margaret gave Regina a curious look, “Didn’t you just say he was a black lab?”

“Em and Henry named him. Ironically I think... I hope.”

They fell silent until Mary Margaret shivered. Regina stood and moved to the causeway, coming back with Mary Margaret’s clothes. After she had them back on she spoke, ““Oh, Xena gave me something to give to you.” Mary Margaret reached in her pants pocket and took out a small ziplock bag with a note on its front and a bunch of seeds inside it.

She handed it to Regina, who recognized the seeds but read the note anyway, ‘Your past is important. So, plant these so that with each new apple your past will merge with your future. X+G.’ In a different handwriting under the first note was another short message that made Regina smile just a little, ‘Yeah, what she just wrote. -X.’

Mary Margaret studied Regina, “You’re smiling. And, you must be freezing?”

Regina folded the note and kept a good grip on the bag of apple seeds, “As I said, I did this before.”

“...a lot?” Regina nodded, “I am sorry Regina, for my part in... all of this, past and present.”

Regina avoided the conversation, changing the subject instead, “Let’s go see what Em has cooking.” Regina held out a hand, and after a moment Mary Margaret took it and was pulled up.

“Emma can cook?”

“She said, and I quote, ‘With how bad a bounty hunter I started out as, I either had to learn to cook or starve’.”

They started down the island’s road, “She’s not great with a toaster though. She destroyed mine.”

A dog came sprinting at them, tail wagging very happily as Regina smirked, “Ah, yes, she did get rid of my top loading toaster awhile ago. We have an oven toaster.”

Mary Margaret scratched behind Spot’s ears. “You don’t seem like an Evil Queen at the moment you know.”

Regina’s eyes twinkled, “Just wait until I’m President.”


End file.
